Alegria
by Sorrelwing
Summary: Seven years after The Estrella, Bia and Azure take their kids, Leo and Daniella, on a trip to Rio. But things go awry when Daniella is stranded on an island, inhabited by strange birds who can't help her. She must find a way back to her home and family, as well as help a mysterious outcast named Emori who also wishes to leave the island - which isn't the innocent paradise it seems.
1. A few weeks before

**_Hi guys! Wow, it's been a while - I missed you all, and after the success of Melody of the Ocean, I'm relieved to have had a break from Rio for a while. Now, I'm refreshed and back with a new story._** ** _It's the long-awaited, highly requested sequel to 'The Estrella'. I always had a basic idea for a third instalment, but was never sure as to whether to go through with it. However, since I love the characters, I'm back with a sequel._**

 ** _'Alegria' means joy and happiness in Portuguese. As with 'The Estrella', the reason for this title will become apparent as the story goes on._** ** _This is set seven years after the events of 'The Estrella' - Bia and the others are around eight now, young adults._** ** _Our main couple aren't the only ones with kids, and the other characters mostly have children as well. These kids and the other characters have small roles, because I'm focusing on the main family as soon as they head to Rio._ _I want a fresh set of eyes, and I'd like to move the setting away from the Amazon, where our story begins._**

 ** _Without further ado, I'd like to introduce a new protagonist - Daniella, the daughter of Bia and Azure. As this is mostly taking place in and around Rio, we'll mostly be with the city residents from the movies, as well as our main family of Bia, Azure, Daniella and her brother, Leo. The Amazon residents will have smaller roles, and will mostly be seen in the beginning._** ** _Alrighty, time to kick off another story! Enjoy, and comment to let me know what you think!_**

 ** _Love, Sorrel_**

The Amazon hadn't changed much in seven years. The sun was still a golden orb in the morning sky, the sky azure-blue without a cloud on it. The river still flowed, lazily in parts and tumbling, white rapids in others. The sun bounced off the glistening surface, which rushed along with ease. The towering trees were lush and green, with glossy leaves and vines hanging from branches. The air was heavily perfumed with the aroma of fruit and flowers, which were bursts of red, yellow, pink and every colour in between against the wondrous green backdrop.

Occasionally, the sun would capture the dappled black spots of a jaguar, as it slid throughout the undergrowth. It would sometimes pause, spotting a cabybara or quail on the forest floor, but the loud catawauls and boisterous play of her cubs would alert her target, with it fleeing before the jaguar could even get into a stalking position. The mother cat flashed annoyed glances at her cubs, who continued to crash through the ferns, flailing their clumsy paws and yowling as they played.

In the trees, there was the chatter of monkeys, as they scuttled throughout the tree canopy, annoying any animal they encountered. The air was hot and humid, and steam rose throughout the jungle - the sun poured through the leaves, hot and bright. Puddles spread across the forest floor, for rain fell on almost daily basis. The past year had been good - the rain and heat was balanced, and periods of dryness or flooding didn't last long. The bird tribes of the Amazon had, therefore, been blessed with plentiful food, pleasant living, and, since the end of the Hyacinth war seven or so years ago, peace.

The Amazon had certainly changed for the better. The sanctuary had extended, protecting more animals from the poisonous touch of the worst of humanity. The good humans, however, had made the wildlife flourish. The Spix's Wing, the animal hospital, was sitting in the clearing made almost eight years ago by the last bunch of loggers who had infested the area. By now, the clearing had become a meadow, with plants and grass covering the once bare soil. The Spix's Wing had saved hundreds of lives, and now, humans weren't viewed with complete prejudice. Security was tight, meaning that few poachers got through.

Another thing was the neighbouring land, sitting next to the Spix's and Red macaw territory. For unknown reasons, this land had once been barren and brown, filled with dead trees. Seven years after the death of Kerja and the shattering of the Hyacinth tribe, this land had grown greener, more beautiful. Once the home of the Hyacinth macaws, the place was now home to several loose-knit groups of various bird species. Some groups were Kerja's former birds, the ones who had disagreed with her violent ways. The few who had shared her views had fled in disgrace, or been chased away by the other tribes or their former tribemates. Kerja and her tyranny were now simply bad memories.

In the Spix's macaw territory, not far from the hidden ravine, a female Spix's macaw stood before a large, pink trumpet flower. The plant was beautiful, with lustrous petals. At the foot of it, the macaw spoke to some chicks, or varying blue shades. Her big hazel eyes were bright and happy, her eyelashes long and thick, like her mother's. Her plumage was sleek and healthy, the straight head feathers long and soft. A red flower was tucked into the side of her head, placed there that morning by her mate.

As a highly intelligent macaw, she had been the perfect choice for a class teacher. Classes had been organized for chicks, because parents loved a break, and there was so much history taking place throughout the last eight or so years, as well as before. There were also an abundance of chicks - dozens had been born in the last few months, and classes would make life in the busy ravine less hectic. The classes varied, from history to the wildlife and plantlife of the land. With her human knowledge, Bia always added a scientific element to every class, even if it wasn't a science. "This trumpet flower is a rare species - humans consider it extinct in the wild, although there are a few scattered throughout the Amazon. This trumpet flower was planted in loving memory of a Hyacinth macaw named Mina."

"A Hyacinth?" A little male macaw with ocean-blue eyes stared at the adult macaw. "I thought Hyacinths were horrible? My dad told me all sorts of stories..."

"Banjo, Gabriel is known for exaggerating." The adult macaw reminded him. "Didn't Bromeliad tell you about Mina?" Banjo shrugged, not remembering the name in his mother's bedtime stories. "Angelica?" She looked toward the female chick besides him, Banjo's sister. "Didn't your mom mention Mina?"

"Ooh, she did, auntie Bia!" Angelica exclaimed, excitedly. She bounced on the spot, and Bia marvelled briefly at how similar she looked to her mother - elegant and pretty, a difference being the light green eyes, which she got from her father. "Mina saved her life, once. She was a small Hyacinth, the daughter of Kerja, right?"

"That's right!" Bia beamed at her little niece - Angelica and Banjo were the young kids of Bromeliad, and a friendly macaw named Gabriel who Bromeliad had met shortly after the battle with the Hyacinths. "While we can't be certain as to why Mina was almost half the size of a regular Hyacinth, Kerja herself had a deformed foot, which may be an underlying genetic problem that was passed down to Mina." She shook her glossy feathers. "Can anyone else tell me what Mina did for us?" Bia looked through the crowd of eager faces.

"I know, I know!" A male macaw, Feliz, leapt up, alongside his near-identical brother, Angelo. They weren't twins, but they looked incredibly alike, the only noticeable difference being eye colour - Feliz had the brown eyes of his father, Tiago, while Angelo had the icy blue eyes of his mother, Orchid. "She infiltrated the Hyacinth tribe, fed us infomation that saved the life of gramma Sophia!"

"But she died, sacrificing herself to allow grandpa Roberto and gramma Sophia to escape." Angelo added, sadly.

"Unfortunately, that is correct." Bia nodded, sombrely. "This remembrance flower was planted for her, in her memory."

"Miss Bia!" Sqeauked a young macaw, one of the class members who wasn't related to Bia. "What happened before the defeat? You know, when you went on that journey in search of that magic flower, when you fell into the plunge pool and defeated the Amazon's biggest bully...?" She cheekily looked at the others. "That very cool story my dad told me about?"

"Perdita, I don't think this is relevant -" Bia began, but then the others began protesting.

"Aw, please? It's such an awesome story! Please, auntie Bia!" Angelica, Banjo, Feliz and Angelo began protesting loudest, because they were very proud of their aunt and boasted about it. Feliz and Angelo, as well as their sister, Jessamyn, were especially proud because both their parents, Tiago and Orchid, had played such a huge part in the war.

"Well... I suppose since the class is nearly over -" Bia prepared to begin that legendary tale that had spread throughout the Amazon. The tale of impossible odds, danger and adventure, where she and her friends had risked it all. And, the race against time to save both a beloved tribe member _and_ defeating Kerja, the deranged, cruel and vengeance-obsessed Hyacinth macaw. Before she could begin the story, Bia was interrupted by none other than another star of the story, Jewel. After a few moments, Blu arrived, gasping from flying so fast.

"Bia!" Cried Jewel. Bia turned to face her mother, who hadn't changed at all in the last few years - after nearly dying years ago, Jewel was as healthy as ever, her turquoise eyes sparkling brighter than usual. Blu hadn't changed either, although he was more adapted to the wild by now. Less things scared him and the fanny pack was long gone, although he and Jewel still went to Rio every Summer, and spiders still terrified him.

"What's up, mom, dad?" Bia asked, initially worried about Jewel's loud call, but then she saw the look of joy on Jewel's and Blu's faces. Bia's eyes widened when Blu spoke.

"It's happening, sweetie!" He exclaimed. Bia stared at her father, initially puzzled, but then it hit her. She gasped.

"Really? _Now?_ Oh, I - kids! Uh, what do I - Manuela!" She waved frantically at the older female, who she spotted a little distance away. "Perfect timing! Can you take these kids back to the ravine? I'll be flying too fast to take care of them! Come on, Banjo, Angelica, Feliz, Angelo! It's happening again!" The four chicks instantly knew what she meant. Her nephews and niece released sqeauls of excitement, before racing after Bia, who hurried toward the ravine, faster than a whole class of kids could keep up with. Blu and Jewel followed behind, keeping especially close to Feliz and Angelo, two of their grandchildren.

Bia raced ahead, heart thudding with joy and trepidation, as the ravine melted into view. "Excuse me!" She ducked under a group of teenagers who were kicking a piece of fruit to each other in midair. On their way, Blu and Jewel saw Roberto and Sophia, in the middle of eating a Brazil nut. "Beto, Soph!" Jewel shouted, joyously. The pair glanced up, hearing their nicknames.

"Your ninth grandchild is on the way!" Blu informed, and the two macaws stopped eating abruptly. Abandoning the nut, the two leapt into flight, rushing after Bia, Blu, Jewel, and the four kids.

"Another!" Sophia exclaimed, happily. "I don't feel like a grandmother..."

"Baby, you look too young to be one." Roberto nuzzled his mate in flight, with affection. They, as well as Blu and Jewel, were in their mid twenties - not old at all. Their children had simply chosen to have kids early, rather than waiting until they were over ten, so they experienced the joy of having grandchildren without feeling old.

Finally, the tree was in sight. Bia saw Eduardo and Mimi heading in, ushering Carla and Bruno ahead of them. Bia landed on the sand outside, before running in. The hollow was crowded with her family members, who were whispering in hushed, excited voices. They parted to let Bia and the four grandparents through, and Azure looked around, his head feathers very bushy. "Bia!" His blue eyes, with their amber fleck, lit up in delight. "You're just in time, quick!" Azure wrapped a wing around Bia, and they peered into the nest, excitedly. Blu, Jewel, Roberto and Sophia gathered beside Eduardo and Mimi, who was leaping on the spot. Eduardo and Mimi, asides from having a grey tint to some feathers, also hadn't changed much in the past years.

Azure had been sitting on the nest, while Bia taught a class; upon feeling movement, he had called as many family to his nest as he could. Now, he and Bia watched their second egg hatching. Bia felt something nudging between them, and she looked down, to see Leo blinking at the crowd members, wondering why they were here. She swiftly picked up Leo, so that he could witness the hatching of his new sibling. Leo had hatched a few days before - as a result, he was very downy and fluffy, and couldn't yet speak. He peered into the nest, in curiosity.

The room fell quiet. There would be an occasional "Where is she?" Or "He's missing this!", but then it was silent. The egg in the nest was rocking. The macaws held their breath, and the chicks in the room edged forward, curious eyes on the egg. The white orb had tiny cracks appearing across the surface, and pieces of shell were rising up and down, as if the shell was breathing.

Leo tipped to his head to the side, not knowing what all the fuss was about - in his young mind, it was a just a white sphere, but to the adults in the room, and especially to Bia and Azure, it was something so much more precious. A little life, making it's way into the world, yearning to break free of the cocoon that had kept it alive for so many weeks. More cracks edged through the shell, and the shell began to shudder more - then a tiny piece of shell fell away. That was the catalyst the shell needed- as one part fell, the rest began to break away.

Then, to their surprise, the shell came apart all at once. The orb was no more, and instead, a skinny creature fell to the soft moss of the nest. Seemingly tinier than it should be, because of it's feathers slicked back from the liquid that had kept it alive. Already, with the humidity, down was becoming visible, tufts sticking up. The macaws who didn't cheer released coos of adoring, for while the new-born bird would be ugly to any other animal, with it's slicked down feathers and paleness, birds found the little creature beyond adorable.

Leo blinked his hazel eyes, tipping his head to the side once more at the strange creature, but then he felt incredibly, strangely, happy. Azure had a goofy smile, unable to stop his amusing-looking grin from how happy he was. Bia was initially unreactive in her awe, but then utter joy and love flooded her eyes. Her heart swelled with warmth, and she felt the same love she had felt the day Leo had hatched. She put him down, so that she could scoop up the vulnerable hatching.

"What is it? Is it a girl, or boy?" Carla stood in her tip-toes, desperate to catch a better glimpse of her niece. Longing burned within her green eyes, as did Bruno's; they were one of the few who hadn't had chicks yet. That day would arrive soon, they hoped. Bia cradled the chick within her wings, hardly able to contain her happiness.

"It's a girl." Bia said, half to Carla and half to herself. She barely heard Mimi's shrieks of happiness, as the great-great aunt flew out of the tree, shouting that she had a great-grand-niece. Squawks of congratulations rang out from the tribe, congratulating the new parents. Azure picked up Leo off the floor, so that he could get a better look at his little sister, who was gradually turning into a ball of fluff as her feathers dried. The word 'name' was whispered throughout the hollow, and the family members craned their necks to get a better look.

"Well..." Azure smiled at Bia. "I named our son, so it's only fair that you name our daughter. What do you think, Beatriz?" Bia looked down at the bundle of fluff in her wings. She was so beautiful - it would take a little more time to see what colour her eyes were, her special features, since chicks didn't open their eyes or have unique traits immediately. The little form, sensing the love around her, snuggled into the softness of her mother, and a name came to Bia immediately. It was a name she'd loved from the moment she'd heard it.

"She's called Daniella."


	2. Peer pressure

"Azure?" Bia popped her head out of the hollow, looking upwards. She caught a glimpse of her mate, his dark tail feathers streaming down from an above branch. His wings were folded, his eyes shut as he slept. She rolled her eyes, reaching up and tugging on his tail. Azure gasped, and fell forwards. He hung upside-down, talons dug into the branch, a few inches from her face. His head feathers dangled toward the floor.

"Honey! Morning!" He sang, suppressing a yawn. The skin over Bia's left eye rose.

"Hey, mister bat." She greeted. "It's noon - did you drift off after breakfast?"

"Oh, a little bit." Azure let go of the branch, landing on his feet before her.

"I don't suppose you forgot that you were supposed to be keeping an eye on your nieces, did you?" Bia smirked. Azure opened his mouth to speak, before it snapped shut. "Yes, Monica and Suzy."

 _"Zut alors!"_ Exclaimed a mortified voice behind Bia. _"Suzanna, qu'avez-vous fait a la place?_ Oh, Bia, Azure, I'm so sorry!" Bia turned, to see Isaac's mate, Margaux, standing there, the sound of chicks giggling inside the hollow. She was dark blue, petite and slightly plump, with friendly, light brown eyes. A few years ago, Bia and Azure had gone travelling for a few months, during which they bumped into a distressed young female Spix's macaw, who couldn't speak English, only French and sparse Portuguese, which was the only way as to how Bia and Azure had spoken to her at all.

In clumsy Portuguese, Margaux had pleaded for help, and with that, Bia and Azure had brought her back to the ravine. It turned out that Margaux was originally from French Guiana - as a result, she had grown up speaking French and a little Portuguese. Luckily, a few members of the tribe could speak French, and they had taught her English. It had been Isaac who had volunteered to improve her Portuguese, and after spending so much time together, Isaac and Margaux fell in love, bonding after Margaux had taught him French as a thanks for him teaching her Portuguese.

Isaac and Margaux were now parents to Monica and Suzanna, or 'Suzy'. The two rambunctious girls were much like Feliz and Angelo, or the daughters of Felipe and Azalea, Adele and Leti - the two were now grown-up, but they had been very mischievous in their youth. Monica and Suzy loved causing trouble, and now, they had used red berries to paint the walls of Bia and Azure's hollow. Luckily, it was the sort of berry that was easily washed away Margaux was fretting, muttering French as she often did whenever she was happy or stressed. " _Ah mon dieu..._ sorry, Bia, Azure. I'll clean it up..." They weren't sure where Margaux came from, but since 'ah mon dieu' was a human term, it was thought that she was raised in captivity. She refused to speak of her upbringing, and Bia figured it had something to do with the poor condition they'd found her in.

"Honestly, Margaux, it's fine..." Azure laughed. "Oh, have either of you seen Daniella? Leo's playing on the lillies..." He looked toward the plunge pool, and so did Bia, with a shiver. She had bad memories of that plunge pool, and her feathers rose somewhat. She recalled huge, knarled, deformed talons around her neck, lungs screaming for air, and Kerja's grey, madness-filled eyes... Bia hadn't looked at the plunge pool in the same way since. She had a vision of Kerja being swept away, pulled under the current, while she herself lay in the mud, before falling unconscious. The war had left some considerable scars, but Bia knew she had escaped with little more than a scratch. _Orchid, Sophia... I got off lightly._

"Auntie Bia?" Bia stirred out of her thoughts. Monica and Suzy looked up at her. "Are you okay?" Monica asked. Bia smoothed her feathers, shaking off her memories.

"Of course I am." Bia assured her, with a smile, although she still felt Kerja's claws.

"Monica, Suzy, go play with your cousins over there." Margaux indicated toward Leo, where he played with Banjo and Angelica. Bia focused on Leo, instead of the swirling water beneath him and Bromeliad's kids. Leo had the head feathers of his mother's side, not the crest-like feathers from Azure's bloodline - his feathers resembled that of Bia's, although they flicked at the ends, rather like Jewel and Carla. There was a noticeable lighter mark in the feathers of his left wing, and like Bia, he was also hazel-eyed. Leo had the facial structure and build of Azure, the same beak, and he had the darkest feathers of his parents and sister. Leo was an outgoing, highly sociable, and goofy sort of chick - he reminded Bia of Tiago, except Leo was very well behaved and sensible.

"I think she's somewhere in the tree, I'll go get her." Bia spread her wings, and with a flap, was airbourne.

At the top of the tree, Daniella looked out, the breeze ruffling her soft plumage. She was probably just a little older than her mother had been, when she had gone on that journey to the Amazon as a chick with her family. Daniella looked around the ravine in awe, marvelling at the beauty of the place. She loved doing this every day, seeing the ravine from the top of the tree. Flying over it was even better, but sometimes it was nice to sit quietly and watch the world go by.

Daniella had soft, bright blue feathers, as blue as the morning sky. The feathers falling from her head were evidently from her father's side - like Azure, her head feathers were numerous, bouncy and wavy, shorter ones framing her face. The rest were slightly longer, falling in layers, reaching a little further than the bottom of her neck. Most curious of all was the fact that they were as black as coal, tumbling and glossy. Black eyelashes framed lavender eyes, and her eyelids were a naturally darker blue than the rest of her plumage, a trait she shared with her father and aunt Carla. She was a very pretty little macaw, with a small beak and a dainty facial structure similar to that of her mother's.

Daniella was a little quiet. She wasn't as confident or out-going as Leo - while he could spark a conversation with absolutely anybody and break an awkward silence, Daniella felt a little awkward and anxious around others. Around other kids, Daniella sometimes got tongue-tied and nervous, worrying what they thought of her. What if they didn't like what she looked like? What if they thought that her black head feathers were weird? Compared to Leo, she didn't have many friends who weren't cousins.

"Daniella! Where are you?" Daniella turned her head, hearing her mother's voice. She casted one last glance at the wondrous view, before shaking her head and heading for the sound.

"I'm here." She said, looking around, waiting to see Bia. Eventually, Bia appeared, smiling at her from some branches.

"There you are, baby. Were you up there again?" Bia glanced upwards, and Daniella nodded.

"Just admiring the view, mom." Daniella shrugged. "What is it?"

"Well, I have a class now, so I was wondering if you and Leo would like to leave the ravine for a bit? See the outside..." Compared to Leo, Daniella hadn't gone outside the ravine much - only once, to be exact. Maybe it was because the outside scared her somewhat. She'd heard one too many spooky stories from her uncle Gabriel, who spoke of jaguars, snakes and huge, bird-eating spiders. Bromeliad, rolling her ocean-blue eyes, had reminded the audience of kids Daniella had been part of that Gabriel liked exaggerating, but this didn't comfort her.

"Will someone else be there?" She asked, hopefully.

"Uncle Tiago and aunt Orchid." Bia said, gently. Carla and Bruno were busy with their club, and Eduardo had an annual tribe meeting with the others - Felipe, Johanna, and the other bird tribe leaders all gathered at one tree to discuss their tribes and problems. Jewel and Mimi were on patrol with Roberto, and most of the family were otherwise occupied. She was a little disappointed that Daniella was only comfortable with an adult there. "Feliz, Angelo, and Jessie are tagging along, too."

The other kids were in Bia's class; Monica, Suzy, Banjo and Angelica were in the one Bia had today, the one about what lay outside the Amazon. For that, and since the class was larger than normal, she was joined by Blu, Margaux, Isaac and Azure, who had been far outside. Blu from Minnesota and Rio of course, Margaux and Isaac French Guiana, and Bia and Azure had gone travelling around South America a few years back, as well as the adventure to Peru.

Daniella's lavender eyes brightened a little, for she loved that trio of her double cousins. That was the term her mother gave it, since she and Tiago were siblings, coupled with Azure and Orchid, who were also siblings. She liked Feliz and Angelo, but especially Jessie, whose jokes made her laugh. "Well, that might be fun..."

"Of course it will, Dani!" Azure swept onto the branch, all tiredness gone. Daniella looked up at her parents, unsure. "Trust me, you'll absolutely love the outside once you've seen it for a second time. It's not so scary the second time around - you know, when I was your age, I was terrified of the outside. But the second time I went, it was bright, colourful, and much less scary." He was sure Daniella would love it eventually - like Bia, she was so artistic, and spent much of her time drawing or painting with the 'Beautiful Creatures' fruit paint and flower pollens. "Your cousins, uncle T and aunt... I'll go get Orchid, actually. She's overslept." Azure kissed his daughter on her black head feathers, before turning away, flying toward Tiago and Orchid's tree.

"So, what do you think, Daniella?" Bia prompted. Daniella hesitated, but then she realized that a small part of her wanted to see what lay beyond the ravine.

Meanwhile, Azure flew to his younger sister's tree. Her and Tiago's tree was sitting next door to Bromeliad and Gabriel's, not far from Azure and Bia's. It was a very beautiful one, with heavy yellow flowers - similar to Mimi's, except the flowers weren't pink, and their scent wasn't as overwhelming. Azure landed outside, before ducking into the hollow. It was cozy and small, high in the tree. "Orc?" He looked around, before he spotted his little sister asleep in her nest. Her fluffy head feathers were messy, her single ice-blue eye closed.

The familiar swell of pity went through him, as he saw the gap where her other eye had been, saw her bandanas hanging on an extending twig above the nest. The empty eye socket was dark, with three thin scars across the socket edges, a permanent reminder of the Hyacinth's talons scoring over her face. Luckily, the scars had shrunk and faded overtime, the feathers growing around the scarring so that there were just thin scratches. It wasn't as horrible as what it had been - the first few months, it had been red and raw, the scarring thick and making Orchid shut everybody out. She had had trouble coordinating and flying without bumping into things, but she had eventually adjusted to having half her vision in darkness. Tiago had brought her her first set of bandanas, and this collection had extended to a variety of coloured silks and satins. The bandanas had helped Orchid hide her disfigurement, and eventually returned her to her normal state.

"Orchid!" Azure said, loudly, and Orchid jolted awake. Instinctively, her wing flew up to cover her lost eye, but when she saw that it was only her brother, Orchid relaxed. She didn't care about her loss around family - at least not anymore.

"You nearly gave me a heart attack." She laughed, before turning away to select a bandana. She chose a pale pink one, began tying it over her eye socket. "Did I oversleep? Sorry, Tiago doesn't like waking me, and Angelo and Feliz kept me up all night..." Orchid yawned, knotting the bandana, before whirling around with a smile. "I'm taking out Leo and Daniella, aren't I?"

"Yes." Azure nodded. "Tiago and your kids are waiting at the ravine entrance, last I checked."

 _Later_

Daniella flew close to Jessamyn, a little behind. Ahead, Leo was chatting non-stop with Feliz and Angelo, all three boys laughing about something. Tiago and Orchid flew just ahead of Jessie and Daniella, occasionally glancing back to the two bringing up the rear. Tiago leaned toward Orchid. "Is Daniella always this quiet?" He asked, speaking low so that Daniella didn't hear.

"I think she's a little shy, is all." Orchid said, calmly. She wasn't at all worried about Daniella - she'd gain more confidence, all she needed was a little nudge. She flashed a look at Jessie, inclining her head toward Daniella. Jessie blinked, before understanding. She nudged Daniella.

"Here's another one for you." Jessie said, brightly. "What did the dancing jaguar say? I got the moves like Jaguar!" Daniella laughed, remembering that song - Carla still listened to her iPod, allowing her nieces to listen to it as well.

"That's a good one." Tiago laughed, although Orchid didn't get it, having never heard the song. She looked puzzled, so Tiago began to explain. While they were talking, Daniella saw a flash of red ahead, and stiffened - should she call to her brother and two cousins ahead, warn them to watch out? Orchid also spotted the colour, but instead of calling out a warning, she gasped.

"Azalea!" She exclaimed, in a friendly manner. The matriarch of the red macaw tribe appeared, squawking in greeting. A little ball of red feathers followed, with brown eyes identical to that of Azalea's daughter, Adele. They weren't alone, for a blue form followed. "Hi, mom!" Orchid greeted, to Sophia. As a close friend of Azalea and her family, it was no surprise they'd bumped into Daniella's paternal grandmother at the same time.

"Hello, Orchid, Tiago." Azalea said, in a friendly manner. Tiago and Orchid landed on a branch, as did Sophia and the red newcomers. The five kids also landed, standing behind Tiago and Orchid. Azalea was beaming. "I'd like to introduce my grandson - this is Adele's son, Elias..." the little Scarlet macaw went pink, mumbling a bashful 'hello', looking at the five older Spix's chicks. While the adults began talking, Feliz glanced about.

"Come on, let's go." He slid into the vines, slowly, so not to be noticed. Angelo followed, as did Jessie. They beckoned Leo and Daniella to follow. They paused, however - Leo out of sensibility, Daniella out of fear. Leo glanced at his younger sister, knowing that she didn't like being in the rainforest without the comfort or safety of an adult.

"Come on! We're just going to see our friends, come with us!" Angelo urged. "You'll love them! We're gonna explore some big cave..." Leo glanced at the adults, who were chatting away. He supposed, if they weren't gone long, Tiago, Orchid and Sophia wouldn't notice... surely this would be good for Daniella? The pull of adventure dragged him away from concern over his sister's feelings.

"Let's go, Daniella." Leo said, jumping into the vines. Daniella hesitated; it didn't seem wise to her. What if they got lost? What if something jumped out at them? _Why am I so afraid of everything? I guess I do need to make more friends..._

"Of course she's going!" Jessie seized Daniella's wing, pulling her into the vines. Daniella casted a reluctant glance back, but the vines closed, blocking her escape. _Oh, I hope I don't regret this..._


	3. Fear runs deep

Daniella hung close to Leo's side, skin prickling with slight unease, yet as she and her brother followed their cousins, she couldn't help but feel a touch of excitement. She was proud of herself for plucking up the courage to leave the safety of adult supervision, although her silent voice kept speaking the truth. _I didn't want to look like a scaredy-marguay in front of them. Leo's right, I need to be a bit braver..._

 _Bravery. Fat chance!_ Daniella's sarcastic side reminded her. She was worried about everything - every rustle in the bushes, every noise in the night, awakened a prick of fear. Why had she let Jessie drag her along on this little trip? She was so easily pressured, afraid of how she'd be judged, ruining other birds' fun. _I don't want to seem like a stick in the mud, which is just brilliant._

"Daniella? Are you okay?" Leo whispered. Daniella's feathers flattened slightly; her brother was perhaps her closest friend. He didn't often understand her, but she could be herself around him, talk to Leo about anything without him getting too worried, like her parents would. She loved them, but she hated talking about her problems because they'd try to do something about them. "I'm sorry I dragged you along..."

"It's okay." Daniella shook her feathers. "You know, a little rebellion, it's good..." She wished that was her honest opinion. Leo had a knack for seeing through a lie - he was visibly unconvinced.

"If you want, we can head back -" Leo began, in a mild voice to help prove to his sister that he honestly wouldn't mind.

"No, I'm fine." Daniella insisted. "Don't worry about me, Leo." Leo hesitated, before sighing, knowing he couldn't persuade her.

"Hey! We're nearly there, I can see our friends!" Angelo's voice distracted the two siblings, pulling away Leo's concern. A sea of voices sounded up ahead.

"There they are!" Daniella looked up, hearing and then spotting a group of chicks up ahead, slightly older than herself. They were all a mixed group - a male Lear's macaw, two female Red-Bellieds, a large male Military macaw, and a female Hyacinth. Leo glanced at Daniella, the skin over his eyes raised slightly at the sight of the Lear's and Hyacinth. The Lear's macaw may have not been a Hyacinth - he was smaller, had a greenish hue to his plumage, but he still looked very similar to the female Hyacinth.

A shiver ran down Daniella's spine. She'd heard frightening stories about Hyacinths. "This Military macaw is Hernandez, the Lear's is Rarito, these two Red-Bellieds are Camille and Valentina..." Feliz was speaking, but Daniella was barely listening, thinking of Hyacinth stories.

"Daniella, this is Ivanna." Jessie's voice brought Daniella out of her thoughts about the war. She realized that the female Hyacinth had extended a large wing, but Daniella forgot to shake it, spending too much time staring at how large the wing was; twice as big as her own. She jumped at the sound of Jessie's voice, and, once again forgetting to shake the wing, gave Ivanna a smile that didn't have full heart, because she had been distracted. The skin over one of Ivanna's eyes raised, and she slowly looked at the two Red-Bellied females, Camille and Valentina, who exchanged narrowed eye glances.

"Hello, Daniella." Said Ivanna, in a cool voice. Daniella frowned, detecting the difference in tone. This frown didn't seem to convince the Hyacinth and two Red-Bellieds that they'd misread Daniella's actions.

"Hi." Daniella replied, boosting her voice's warmth, in an attempt to seem more friendly.

"Right, where's this cave?" Leo said, brightly, seeing the awkward failure of the attempted wing-shake.

"It's right here, actually!" Hernandez the Military macaw said, happily, sweeping the adjacent palm leaf aside. It was there that Daniella and Leo saw that the cave was literally right there - a foot away, several feet high. The vegetation had grown so thickly, right up to the cave entrance, so that someone could walk into it without even realizing it was there until it was too late.

"Wow, didn't see that coming!" Angelo grinned in a friendly manner, his ice-blue eyes bright and happy, as he lead the way into the cave. Daniella paused before going in, but then a wing slapped her on the shoulder - a little hard.

"Go on, then." Said one of the Red-Bellied macaws, the one called Camille. She smiled widely, in a sweet voice. "Scared of the dark?"

"No, of course not..." Daniella rubbed her shoulder with her wing, before going into the cave; she briefly thought she heard the sound of Tiago's voice in the distance, but with Camille urging her forwards, Daniella was forced to keep walking.

Her cousins and brother chatted along with Hernandez and Rarito, while the other three females stuck in a separate group - Daniella thought they kept looking back at her, but she ignored it, too fascinated by the cave. This surprised her, for Daniella thought she'd be terrified. Sure, she kept expecting to see something lurking in the dark, but as Daniella followed the group, she felt her nerves melt somewhat. The cave was very beautiful - the walls and floor had an almost glittery quality, and the rock was smooth with an almost blue tint.

"Wow..." Daniella looked around, in awe. Suddenly she felt less anxious. Her steps had more of a bounce as she ran to catch up with the others, and then she realized she could conjure a conversation - all kinds of questions emerged in her mind, but before she could ask, Jessie spoke.

"Hey, let's split up into two groups. We can explore more that way!" Her teal eyes glowed.

"That's a great idea!" Daniella surprised herself by this sentence. _Maybe this is what I need - to get out more, be with more friends... the outside isn't so bad._

"I agree!" Rarito, the Lear's macaw, went to say her name, so she could be in his group. But then, Valentina interrupted from where she, Camille and Ivanna were whispering.

"I'll choose one group! Me, Camille, Ivanna, and Daniella will be a group." She announced, loudly.

"Uh, are you sure?" Jessie frowned, knowing that Daniella liked being with a member of her family. "Maybe I should -"

"That's fine!" Hernandez beamed. "Come on, Rarito, Leo, Angelo, Feliz, Jess! We'll go up along the stalactites!" He went away with Rarito, although Daniella's four relatives hesitated, especially Leo, who knew how his sister got shy.

"I'll be okay, go!" Daniella smiled, feeling much more relaxed, before running after Ivanna, Camille and Valentina, who had begun walking away rather quickly, disappearing over the rock ledge. Not looking back, she jumped down over the ledge, while the other group began flying toward the stalactites - Leo kept looking back, feeling uneasy. There was something about those three female chicks that he didn't like...

Meanwhile, Daniella landed on the foot of the rock ledge. Peering over another ledge, she noticed how a stream ran through the rock floor. Her skin prickled, as she saw the dark, glistening stream, sliding along like a thick black snake. She then realized that Camille, Valentina and Ivanna weren't in sight. _Where are they? You don't just vanish into thin air..._

Suddenly, a great weight collided with her side. With a squeal of surprise, Daniella was sent crashing into the wall. Mumbling, rubbing her neck, Daniella looked up with confused lavender eyes. Ivanna, the Hyacinth chick, was towering over her, flanked by Camille and Valentina. All their eyes were narrowed and cold, with hostility. She stared up at them, confused even further. "What was that for?" Daniella asked, utterly shocked.

"We know who you are." Camille said, in a cold voice, all sweetness gone. "Daniella and Leo, the kids of Bia and Azure?"

"What's my parentage got to do with you?" Daniella asked, feathers on end.

"Funny, how Kerja once held a knife to your dad's neck, how she dragged your mom into a plunge pool, how she almost killed your grandmother Jewel..." Ivanna's feathers bristled. "Is that why you were acting so funny? Didn't want to shake my wing, seemed scared of me, when my family were never a part of that monstrous tribe to begin with?" The Hyacinth's eyes flashed, and she raised a foot. She wrapped her toes over each other, making her talons look twisted; just like Kerja's deformed foot. "Afraid of me? Think I'll whip out a human weapon, try to take over your home or try to hurt your great-grandfather?"

"If there's someone we hate most, it's a prejudiced bird!" Valentina's eyes were angry and unfriendly. "Ivanna's never done anything to offend you, why would you judge her for her species?" Horror tore through Daniella. _Oh, no! They've got it all wrong! I'm not prejudiced!_

"I'm so sorry, I'm not! You've got it so, so wrong, I didn't shake your wing because I was -" Valentina cut her off, before Daniella could finish clearing up her mistake.

"Lying won't get you out. Nice try!" Suddenly, the three leapt upon her. Daniella cried out in terror, trying to fight back, but she was easily overpowered. She then realized that Camille had a vine in her talons.

"Keep her still!" She snapped, and Ivanna and Valentina held fast onto Daniella.

"What are you doing? Let me go!" Daniella struggled violently, trying to remember how her parents had taught her self defence. She felt the vine tighten around one of her legs, and suddenly, Ivanna and Valentina leapt away. Daniella staggered toward the rock ledge, but then, she was brutally shoved. Daniella lost her footing, and then there was no rock beneath her feet. Too shocked to fly, Daniella screamed before she plunged into the stream.

The water was shockingly cold. It froze everything - her blood, her mind, and limbs. She hung momentarily in the water, too shocked to try and move. Then she saw everything around her. Swirling black water, even darker, wriggling shapes showing the dark fish that swam by. Not everything was black - something white, below. Daniella's blood turned to ice water when she picked out the skull, saw the bones. She didn't know what animal it was, but the jaw of its skull hung open, as if mocking her, laughing hysterically with its terrifying grin.

Daniella then bursted into movement. She screamed, floundering in the stream, screaming like a bird possessed. The water clung to her, cold and turning everything to ice; she felt the claws in her lungs, as they screamed for air. The fish slid around her, bumping against her with their slimy, vile skin. All Daniella saw was the dark shapes, the animal skeleton a few inches from her face; the icy water was all she felt. _Water! Water!_ The three girls were laughing above, pulling Daniella up briefly so that she could draw in a breath, before plunging her back into the stream. Their young minds wouldn't tell them how cruel and dangerous a joke this was. All the while, Daniella shrieked a blood-curdling screech, the terror heard by her cousins and brother in the rest of the cave. Camille, Ivanna and Valentina laughed all the while.

 _"Just to scare her a bit! This prank is hilarious!"_

 _"That'll serve her right for judging!"_

 _"That sounded like Daniella! What's going on down there?"_ Jessie, Angelo, Feliz and Leo appeared on the above rock, hearing the scream; now, they saw three chicks laughing, while the waterlogged shrieks of Daniella were heard at the end of the vine, in the water. They briefly froze in shock, before Leo acted, his brotherly instinct naturally telling him to defend his little sister.

With a wordless screech of rage, Leo leapt at Camille, who held the vine. In a blind fit of fury, he clawed fiercely at the Red-Bellied macaw, who shrieked when he left a scratch. A tiny bit of blood seeped upwards. "Get off!" She cried, but in his anger, Leo didn't stop his attack, continuing to claw at her. Rarito and Hernandez rushed to split them, while Angelo tore away, shrieking.

"Mom! Dad! Sophia!" He screeched, in an ear-splitting voice, going to get help.

"Daniella!" Jessie and Feliz shoved Valentina and Ivanna aside, but the vine was gone. When Leo had attacked Camille, she had let go of the vine - and Daniella. "Where is she?" Wailed Jessie. "What did you do?" She shot a look of absolute horror at the three females.

"She... she didn't shake my wing, and she... she jumped at the sight of me..." Ivanna whispered, in a small voice. "I thought she judged me for my species..."

"She's shy, you numbskull!" Feliz shouted. "She always jumps, and who cares if she shook your wing or not? That doesn't mean she hates you for your species! How thick could you get?" Ivanna opened her beak to protest, but then she and Valentina looked at one another as it dawned upon them.

"Daniella!" Jessie cried, again, staring into the darkness. The water rushed by; would she have sunk, or been carried away? What if she'd _drowned?_

"Look! There she is!" Valentina exclaimed, hoping for a chance of redemption and forgiveness, but based by the look everyone gave her, this would be impossible. A sodden creature was caught on a rock below, shaking like a leaf. Her lavender eyes were flooded with an unspeakable terror as she clung to the wall, not able to bear a single drop of water touching her. Her skin crawled intensively with every bead of water running through her feathers, only able to think of the sinister black shapes, the mocking skull, the feel of the vile water more like venom.

Meanwhile, outside, Angelo exploded out of some leaves. Up ahead, Orchid, Tiago, and Sophia were frantically calling the missing chicks' names, as was Azalea. All four adults whirled around, feathers on end at the sound of the crying chick. "Angelo!" Orchid cried out, in relief. "My boy... Oh, where were you? Where's Jess? Feliz, Leo -"

"It's Daniella!" Wailed Angelo. "She got pushed into a river!"

 _"Pushed?"_ Gasped Azalea, in horror. Shock tore through Orchid, Tiago and Sophia, and then fear.

"Where is she?" Sophia demanded, feathers bushed.

"That way!" Angelo pointed, and Sophia, Azalea, Tiago and Orchid shot in the direction.

"Angelo, stay here and look after Elias!" Tiago instructed, before disappearing. Angelo wanted to see if his cousin would be alright, but then he saw how young little Elias was, his red, yellow and blue feathers still very downy. Obeying, Angelo began to distract Azalea's little grandson, pulling down some berries and beginning to show him the different colours, although he kept looking back in fear.

The four adults were now close enough to hear the crying of chicks up ahead. Sophia flew fastest, a metre in front of Orchid and Tiago - she didn't see how a cave entrance was hidden up ahead. Azalea, however, did, seeing the rock behind the thick vegetation. "Sophia, no!" She cried. Too late. Sophia plunged through the palm leaf, straight into the cave.

Sophia halted as soon as she realized where she was. Briefly, she was frozen, staring around the place - but then memories crashed down upon her. She had visions of burning amber eyes, of her brother, Jespa, trying to kill her. But this wasn't the main thing. Pain rushed over her, the feeling of immense talons around her throat, brutal, crushing, cutting off her air. She felt herself being thrown against rocks, human weapons held to her neck, being clawed and kicked, bitten, her feathers being torn out. Kerja's voice sounded in her head, alongside her own.

 _"I'll never talk! Never! Never... nev..."_

 _"What is Eduardo's weakness? Why did those kids leave? Who is Johanna taking care of?"_

 _"Please, leave me alone! I'm begging you -"_

Sophia released a piercing shriek. She turned tail and shot out of the cave, shrieking and crying at the same time. She crashed into Orchid, dislodging her bandana in the process. Sophia clung to a tree, trembling. "Mom! What's going on?" Orchid forgot to cover her lost eye, too absorbed in her mother's frenzy.

"I'm not going in there!" Screeched Sophia, shrunk against a tree trunk. Her midnight blue eyes blazed with terror. "You hear me? _Never!"_ Orchid spun round, and, pushing a palm leaf aside, saw the gaping mouth of a cave open up. Her heart plunged into a pool of ice, remembering the feeling of talons on her face, her eye. She shook briefly, before turning back to Sophia, who was now slumped against the tree trunk, wings wrapped around herself tightly. Sophia rocked ever so slightly, trying to stop the flow of memories.

"Mom, calm down, there's no Hy -" Orchid stopped herself saying 'Hyacinth', wondering what it would do to Sophia. "There's no one in there. Ssh, I'm here, you're safe..." she held her mother, and Sophia shook in her wings, eyes screwed shut. Azalea crouched by Sophia also, hazel eyes horrified, knowing exactly what had happened to Sophia in the Hyacinth cave. This wasn't the one, but still, any cave had the same effect.

"I'll take care of her. Go help your niece!" Azalea took Orchid's place, trying to calm Sophia. Orchid paused briefly, before rushing into the cave, where Tiago had already gone in. They heard the sound of their kids up ahead, and rushed to the sound of rushing water.

"Mommy! Daddy!" Jessie tore toward them, in terror. "Daniella won't move!"

 _"What?!"_ Tiago exclaimed, going white under his feathers, misunderstanding.

"She's refusing to come back up!" Feliz shouted, behind Jessie. "She just keeps saying 'water'!" Tiago and Orchid exchanged relieved looks, realizing that Daniella was alive. Over the rock ledge, Ivanna, Camille and Valentina scrabbled up, looking incredibly guilty, and Jessie and Feliz shot them poisonous looks, proving to the two parents that these were the chicks responsible. Orchid and Tiago naturally froze at the sight of the Hyacinth chick, but the three froze in return, at the sight of Orchid's shrunken and empty eye socket, the three thin scars. Camille screamed in horror, and Tiago's brown eyes flashed with disgust at her insensitivity. Orchid's skin prickled, and she hastily readjusted her dislodged bandana so that it covered the damage. She took a moment to collect herself, to forget her bruised heart. Finally, she recovered.

"Tiago, find Daniella. My mother isn't seeing this!" Orchid was of course referring to Ivanna, for the presence of the Hyacinth chick would likely terrify Sophia even more. She shoved the three chicks along, wings spread so that Sophia wouldn't see Ivanna when they emerged from the cave. Orchid glared at them all the while with her single ice-blue eye.

Tiago, with Jessie and Feliz following in tow, saw Leo leaning over the ledge, trying to encourage Daniella to come up, but she was terrified of the water between them. Her eyes were locked upon the swirling blackness. Green and red feathers were caught in Leo's talons, from where he had attacked Camille, and a miniscule drop of blood lay on the stone. An ashamed Hernandez and Rarito hung to the side, feeling guilty.

Tiago didn't waste any time. He swooped down, plucking up Daniella from the rock, bringing her up to the safety of the rock ledge. There, Daniella hugged Tiago, weeping and shaking uncontrollably in her uncle's wings, utterly traumatized. Her black head feathers stuck to her, and her eyes were tightly closed, like Sophia's - except, it wasn't the cave that scared her. Thoughts of the stream of sinistery and death plagued her mind, of the black water that had surrounded her. Tiago held his niece tightly, shocked by how terrified she was, how cold she was, how sodden her feathers were. He murmured words of comfort, before slowly looking up at Leo, Feliz and Jessie. He opened his beak, but no sound came out at first. Finally, he formed words.

"What happened?"


	4. Maternal instinct

Daniella lay on her back, in the moss of her nest. She stared at the ceiling, lavender eyes fixated on a beautiful, silver-blue moth. It fluttered down, landing a few inches from her face, translucent wings dappled with lighter spots - it seemed to glow in the room. She coaxed it onto her wingtip, before placing it outside - it fluttered away, a silver spot in the rosy evening. Daniella watched it go - she would have watched it for longer, but then it cut toward the plunge pool. She turned away, feeling a surge of sickness and fear rise up at the sight of the water.

The water petrified her. Daniella had refused to fly back to ravine the usual way - through the thin crevice, which had water running at the bottom. She had been carried in over the cliff tops, so that she hadn't once flown over any water. She had been dropped off home, while Tiago searched for Bia's class and Azure. Orchid had tended to her, tried to offer comfort, while the rest of the family dropped by to do the same. Orchid had carefully arranged her wavy black head feathers so that they would be smooth and styled how she liked when dried, with the shorter ones framing her face. Daniella had hated the feeling of the water trapped in her feathers, and she hadn't stopped shaking until every drop had dried.

The only one who had been missing was Sophia. Daniella had heard her grandmother scream, before she had heard Sophia shrieking things like 'never' - the sound of screaming had made the experience, the memory, more terrifying. She looked to the right, where her paternal grandparents' tree stood next to her maternal ones. Sophia was sitting on a tree branch, eyes fixed on her talons. Roberto was murmuring to her, along with Isaac, Bromeliad, and Orchid.

The story of the Hyacinth battle was told slightly differently - nobody born since the war knew of Sophia's experiences all those years ago, in that dark labyrinth of a cave. The young children were told that she'd been held in a cave, and no more. Not, rather, as a source of information, extracted in the most sadistic and terrible way. It was too terrible to be known by a young and innocent mind, although older generations that had been born since the war suspected that something more had happened, and a few had been told. There was a reason as to why Sophia sometimes muttered at night, once a month or two. Why she never went into dark places, and why she shook whenever a Hyacinth was around. Someday, when her grandchildren were old enough to understand, they would be told the truth.

Daniella considered flying over to Sophia, to try and offer comfort - she didn't know why Sophia was terrified of caves. She wanted to go over there, but her own misery stopped her. She heard the mockery of Ivanna, Camille and Valentina, but most of all, she remembered the animal bones, the feeling of the slimy fish around her. Most of all, the black water... the five letter word sent a shiver down her spine, and fresh tears sprung to her eyes.

 _They called it a joke. What if that rock hadn't been there? I would have drowned, like mom almost did!_ Daniella closed her eyes, but the tears flowed, passing the barrier. They spilled down her cheeks, uncontrollable and fast, like torrential rain. A sob escaped her throat, as she remembered the stream of death and fear. _I'm never touching water again._

Suddenly, two forms appeared in the doorway. Bia's eyes were flooded with horrified tears, as were Azure's. The rest of the family - Mimi, Eduardo, Blu, Jewel, etcetera - was gathered in the main hollow, with the exception of the other kids and the family members currently comforting Sophia. Monica, Suzy, Banjo and Angelica had heard what happened from Jessie, Feliz and Angelo, but Daniella didn't want to see any of them. Either that, or it was the fact that they were playing on the water lilies, over the plunge pool. The family had told Bia and Azure everything.

Bia stared at Daniella. _My baby. How could three girls be so cruel?_ "Dani." Her heart broke when she saw the tears running down Daniella's face. Daniella paused briefly, before she lost control. She ran across the floor, leaping into her mother's wings. Bia held Daniella tight, the guilt crushing her from the inside. "I'm so sorry. This is all my fault..."

"Baby, that's not true." Azure whispered. Bia looked at her mate, unable to believe him. She pressed her beak to Daniella's forehead. She wanted to stay, but she knew she needed to get Daniella an apology by nightfall.

"I'm going to have a word with those Red-Bellied macaws. It just so happens that Carla knows their mother. I'd speak to the Hyacinth, but no one knows her family." Daniella nodded slowly. "Will you be okay here, with your dad and brother?"

"Yeah." She mumbled. Bia glanced worriedly at Azure, who tilted his head toward the exit, encouraging her to go.

"I'll be back as soon as I can - I promise." Bia reluctantly put her down, before turning, and leaving the room. She passed Leo on her way out, and rubbed his head feathers, with a sigh. He blinked up at his mother, watching her go, before looking back into the room. Beneath, he heard Bia sending the family on their way, telling them where she was going.

"Daniella, are you okay?" Azure asked his daughter, feeling responsible like Bia. Daniella rubbed her eyes hard. She blinked up at her father.

"I... I want a hug." Daniella sounded like a kid, but she was too upset to care. Azure swept her up, embracing his daughter, where he held her tight for many moments. He eventually carried Daniella to the nest, and Leo padded after them, anxious to see his sister. Daniella finally let go of her father, dropping to the moss. A drop of water fell a few inches from her, and Daniella jolted, scuttling to the other side of the nest. Azure frowned. Had the water done more damage than it appeared? That was a tiny drop...

"Dad, are you mad at me?" Leo asked, in a small voice. Azure looked round, and saw Leo standing there, with mournful hazel eyes. "I was stupid... I shouldn't have dragged Daniella along with Jess and Angelo and Feliz... I've upset Gramama Sophia and..."

"Don't worry about it, buddy. Your gramama's going to be fine." Azure had visited his mother before his daughter, for he had heard about Sophia first. She seemed alright, except for being a little distant. "You were just being a kid - I always snuck away from my parents when I was young. We all make mistakes." Azure said, gently, but he didn't think this assured Leo, let alone Daniella. _I know how to make them both feel better._

Azure patted the moss beside Daniella, encouraging Leo. Leo jumped into the nest, snuggling close to Daniella, who was still looking at the drip in the ceiling. Azure shoved a bit of moss in the gap, stopping the leak. "Hey, do you kids know that song?"

"'Don't Go Away?' Gramma Jewel sung that to us..." Daniella said.

"No. Does 'Children of Mine' ring a bell?" Daniella and Leo shook their heads. Fond memories came to Azure - either his mother or father singing on a stormy night, the song distracting Azure, Isaac, Bromeliad and Orchid from the sound of thunder. "When I was your age, my mom used to sing it to me, your uncle Isaac, and your aunts Orchid and Bromeliad. Sophia was sung to by her father, Andre, and her mother, Zenaida. Your great-grandparents thought of it - Andre sung it to her and her brother every night." _Before he died, of course._

"I didn't know Gramama Sophia had a brother." Leo said, curiously. Azure paused.

"Well... that's a story for another time." He said, for Jespa wasn't exactly a happy bedtime story. Forgetting it, Azure pulled a loose feather from his wing, sticking it into the nest. "Anyway, would you like me to sing it to you?"

"Yes, please." Daniella sniffed, wiping her eyes clean. Azure ran his wingtip through her black head feathers, pushing them out of her eyes, and he pulled up the moss tighter to Leo. He started to sing, in a gentle, silvery voice that both they and their mother loved.

 _"Lay down your head now,_

 _Close your eyes, se_ _ttle and snuggle down,_

 _Enter the comforting world of a dream,_

 _Travelling across the sea and to where no bird has ever been,_

 _Fly underneath the moon and stars that shine,_

 _Sweet, beautiful children of mine."_

Azure finished singing - Daniella and Leo were already fast asleep. He watched the two siblings, comforted, but Daniella still worried him. _She was scared of a single drop of water - she refused to fly in through the main entrance. Is she afraid of it? Water?_ Azure looked outside, seeing the waterfall in the twilight. _That's a problem - she lives in a ravine with a plunge pool! She'll be here all her life._

 _Later_

"You're sure this is the one?" Bia looked up at the tree. Carla and Bromeliad flanked her; she couldn't go alone. Especially when the mother of the two Red-Bellied chicks was known for having an insensitivity and a big mouth. Bia was terrible at winning arguments, so she needed at least two back-ups. Azure was comforting Leo and Daniella, after all.

"It is. Their mom's called Luciana - she's part of a singing group of five sisters. The group used to sing in my and Bruno's club some nights - not any more, thankfully." Carla was at her side, her green eyes annoyed. "I must warn you, she's not pleasant to be around. Maybe Bruno should've come with us..."

"The sisters argue constantly over the stupidest of things." Bromeliad added, rolling her eyes on Bia's other side. "Me and Gabriel went to Carla and Bruno's club one time, and they argued over the dumb matter of the head flowers in their head feathers. Mom's friend Victoria, that Catalina macaw, has a club too. She got so tired of their petty arguing that she kicked them out within three months."

"It's a shame, they're not actually bad singers." Carla remarked. "But they should be called the Bratty Sisters. Anyway... I can't believe those girls did that to little Daniella!" The familiar look of outrage entered Carla and Bromeliad's eyes. "It was so dangerous and cruel, what sort of a mother is Luciana?"

"A terrible one, no doubt." Bromeliad said, angrily. "Banjo and Angelica would never be so thoughtless, and none of other the kids would, either. I certainly know that your future kids won't be." She beamed at Carla, and the look of longing entered her green eyes.

"Sometime soon." Carla said, dreamily.

"Okay, I'm knocking." Bia tapped her talons on the wood, and Carla and Bromeliad went quiet, allowing Bia to speak. The hollow was covered by a thin slab of wood, like a door. There was the sound of shuffling inside, and then the thin slab was pushed to the side. A Red-Bellied macaw with watery blue eyes stood there. She was very pretty, with long head feathers and glossy plumage. Her eyelids were coloured in with a vibrant blue fruit paint, like how humans wore eyeshadow, but they looked a little ridiculous, the edges harsh and unblended. Bromeliad almost giggled, but stopped herself, disguising it as a cough.

"Oh. Hello, Carla." Luciana said, ignoring Bia and Bromeliad, since she didn't know them. "Come to ask me and my sisters back to your club? Is it unpopular since you fired us?"

 _"Why you gotta be so rude..."_ Carla muttered under her breath, atune to the song. "I'm not here for you. And if anything it's gotten more popular. Bia?" Carla's eyes were now narrowed in frustration and irritance. She stepped back, wings crossed. Bia cleared her throat.

"Luciana, my name is Bia. I -"

"Oh, you." Said Luciana, hautily. "Everyone knows your name. Anyone who's anyone knows who you are. Heroine of the Amazon who defeated a crazy bird." Bia casted sideways looks at Carla and Bromeliad. "My mate wouldn't stop wittering on about that story to my kids, before I got rid of him. Of course you wouldn't know, with your perfect little family and childhood sweetheart. My mate was a bit too much of a -"

"She's not here to talk about your failed relationship." Bromeliad interrupted, brusquely. "Let her speak, and keep your jealousy out of it." Bia shot her sister-in-law a look. Bromeliad had inherited her mother's barbed tongue - she could be incredibly sarcastic.

"It's your kids I'm here to talk about." Bia said, trying to keep her voice calm and steady - she didn't like Luciana's foul attitude, either.

"Oh?" The area above one of Luciana's unfriendly blue eyes rose. A look of concern came to Bia's face, as she recalled how Tiago and Orchid and explained the story.

"Your girls and their friend, Ivanna, played a cruel trick on my youngest daughter, Daniella. They pushed her into an underground river over a misunderstanding - they dangled her on the end of a vine, so that she was suspended in water. She's traumatized!" Bia felt anger rising like magma. "She won't even look at water, let alone fly over it now." Bia saw two forms peering around Luciana - upon hearing this, they released squeals of fear, disappearing into the hollow. Luciana, however, didn't look angry - or even bothered, in the slightest.

"Oh, it was only a joke! Camille and Valentina play tricks all the time. Kids will be kids." Luciana went to retreat into the hollow, but a venomous look from Carla and Bromeliad stopped her.

"Trick?" Spluttered Bia. "They weren't playing a trick! They were being bullies! Being pushed into a river is incredibly dangerous -" _I know that all too well. "_ I can't believe they were so cruel and irresponsible! She could have drowned!" Luciana looked nonchalant. Bia's temper rose. "Do you know who my mother-in-law is? Sophia?" Interest glimmered in the blue eyes - Sophia used to sing in the club Bromeliad had mentioned, the same one Luciana and her sisters once did. Sophia still sang there with Roberto some nights, but she had also been known for being the bird Kerja had held hostage. Luciana knew her as both, but not in detail. "She heard what happened. She went to save my daughter, but she flew into the cave and she freaked out. Do you know what happened to her, those years ago?

"No." Luciana said, bluntly. Bromeliad hissed.

"She was tortured for information. In a cave - she's never gone into one since. They terrify her! My mother was horrified upon entering the place, and she was traumatized! Your girls brought back so many terrible memories." Bromeliad's eyes blazed, and finally, Luciana looked more bothered. A little guilt and sympathy entered her eyes.

"I'm sorry about Sophia. But Camille and Valentina say that Daniella was prejudiced to their friend, Ivanna, a Hyacinth."

"That was a misunderstanding -" Bia began, but Luciana interrupted.

The Red-Bellied's eyes glistened with pleasure, for she believed she wasn't in the wrong. "Not to mention, my Camille got clawed by that son of yours! What kind of a mother are you, with such a violent child?"

"Violent?" Spluttered Carla, in disgust. "Leo's not violent, but you tend to go crazy when someone's attempting to drown your own sister!" Bromeliad and Carla's voices faded out. Bia could feel the burn of maternal instinct, the rage - Luciana had just had the audacity to question her mothering skills, and call her son _violent_. And, even when Camille and Valentina had realized their misunderstanding, they had the cheek to tell Luciana that lie to protect themselves? And Luciana was branding _her_ a bad mother?

"They also say that Daniella jumped in there - what a way to seek attention!" Luciana's face was full of sneering, and the three Spix's macaws stared at her, speechless - _this_ was what Camille and Valentina had told their mother? Daniella jumped into the stream? Luciana was so gullible that she believed this fabricated, beyond ridiculous tale? Luciana laughed. "Maybe the little brat deserved it!"

Bia had never heard so much nonsense in her life. Now, the storm that had been brewing within her broke at this sentence. Carla opened her mouth to shout, and Bromeliad's wing raised to slap the arrogant Red-Bellied macaw. But Bia leapt, with outstretched talons. "How dare you!" Bia screeched, the fury tearing through her like a wildfire burning through bone-dry grass. She collided with Luciana, and they rolled across the branch, a whirlwind of claws and feathers. They fell into a knot of vines, and Bia and Luciana were getting tangled, yet still trying to claw at one another. "You have the audacity to suggest that Daniella jumped into a river on purpose? She scarred herself for life for a glimmer of attention, to get someone else in trouble? How stupid must you be? I'm a bad mother? Your daughters think that endangering someone's life is fun!"

Luciana squawked loudly as Bia scored her talons across the Red-Bellied macaw's wing - a few feathers went flying into the air, but there was no blood, for that wasn't her style. Bromeliad watched, tempted to cheer, but Carla knew that fighting Luciana would worsen the situation. "Come on, Bromeliad!" Carla went into the vines, seizing Bia and pulling her away. Luciana, however, followed, trying to scratch at the angry Bia. Bromeliad dug her claws into Luciana, to hold her back.

"Enough!" Bromeliad snapped, at Luciana, while Bia finally calmed down enough. Luciana pushed Bromeliad away, anger blazing in her eyes.

"Get out of here. Tell your daughter that Camille and Valentina are sorry, over something they never did." Luciana hissed. Bia struggled against Carla briefly, before Bromeliad stepped between Bia and Luciana.

"No snide remarks!" Bromeliad snapped, turning to Bia. "Don't give her what she wants." She murmured, and Bia felt a flash of anger when Luciana smirked. Regaining her self control, Bia shrugged Carla off, turning away, feathers still bristling. She saw Camille and Valentina peering out from the hollow slab. Her feathers rose even more, and she made the hissing sound that birds made whenever they were threatened or angry.

 _"Never_ touch or go near my daughter again." Bia warned. Camille and Valentina nodded frantically, before Luciana shoved past Bia, shoving the hollow slab across the gap. The three Spix's macaws breathed hard, glaring after Luciana.

"That went well." Carla muttered.


	5. Rio, baby

Daniella stared at a puddle. _Come on. It's just a puddle - there's no fish, no bones. It's so shallow - you can do it._ She raised a foot, slowly reaching toward the pool, but just before she touched the surface, she snatched her talon back. _No way._ "Daniella, come on!" Leo urged. He stood in the middle of the puddle, feathers dripping with water. His hazel eyes, which were a tad darker than Bia's, were wide with disbelief. "It's so shallow - it won't bite!"

"I can't. No, Leo, I can't." Daniella shook her head frantically, and Leo shook his head as well. It had been almost a week, but Daniella hadn't touched water since. The trouble especially arose whenever Daniella got thirsty - she refused to go near it, no matter how shallow it was. Daniella would drink and wash from where water was collected in leaves, or she'd leave coconut shells out when it rained. Even water drops scared her - she hated rain, and leaks in the ceiling. Everytime they went to bed and it was raining, Daniella slept especially close to her parents, with a piece of moss over her head just in case.

"Come on, Dani!" Leo threw himself face-down into the water, where he rolled through it, not minding how silly he looked for he was trying to show how harmless it was. His feathers turned brown from mud, but Leo didn't care. All he wanted to do was help his sister, but Daniella was having none of it. She turned away, wings crossed. Leo emerged from the puddle, dripping water, and Daniella flinched when Leo shook out his feathers, sending waterdrops flying into the air.

Jessie, Feliz and Angelo - especially Leo - were feeling incredibly guilty. They'd strived to make it up to her, since the whole incident was their fault - or so they insisted. Daniella felt as though it were her fault. She shouldn't have been so nervous around Ivanna and the two Red-Bellied macaws - the whole thing could have been avoided if she'd come across as friendlier. Then, she wouldn't be terrified of water. She wouldn't have to sit alone while her brother, cousins and other friends played on the water lillies. She felt a pang of worry. _Will I ever pluck up the courage to go water lily-skiing? To fly over the Amazon... or even dance to 'Beautiful Creatures'? Not if it's over the plunge pool!_

"Leo's such a good brother..." commented Azure, trying to lift the mood. "He's really trying his best." Bia watched the scene from a log, with Azure, Blu and Jewel at her side, heart sunk. Hardly anyone could believe it - the fear, or 'aquaphobia', as Bia called it, was incredibly extreme. No matter how much Leo tried, Daniella was going no where near the puddle. _A puddle. It's barely an inch deep!_ For the first few days, all Daniella could drink or wash in was coconut water. Bia and Azure had eventually gotten her to drink and wash in ordinary water out of a coconut shell or a leaf, but Daniella was still too afraid to go to a waterside to get some. A pond, a stream, the plunge pool - she couldn't bring herself to.

Azure had been making dreamcatchers since he was a chick, and now, his mate and in-laws were helping. They were making dreamcatchers for Daniella and Leo, as well as their cousins - and one for Azure's mother, too. Sophia was back to her old self - she was sweet yet fierce, with sarcasm and a barbed tongue like Bromeliad. She was irritated everytime someone asked her how she was feeling, and annoyed yet touched whenever Roberto showered her with affection to make her feel better. The first day, she had spent much of the day confiding in her closest friends, Azalea and Victoria, but she had been quiet and distant.

On the second day, she and Roberto had taken Monica and Suzy to the Amazon river for the first time. The bundles of energy Monica and Suzy were, Sophia had brightened up until she had forgotten the cave, smiling and laughing for the first time since the cave incident. Sophia was going to be fine - she'd just had a bad scare. Bia watched Daniella, dismayed at the sight of her staring fearfully at a _puddle_ , of all things. _It's too bad she didn't overcome her fear of caves... maybe she could have helped Daniella._

 _Monica and Suzy really enjoyed the flight over the river, according to Isaac and Margaux... will Daniella ever do that?_ Bia looked at Daniella - if she was terrified of water, surely she wouldn't fly over the Amazon river. It wasn't fair on Leo, either - he was missing out, because he didn't want to leave his sister sitting on her own while his friends played over water. He was missing out as much as Daniella. Would she ever go skiing on the water lilies? _The best way to overcome a fear like this is to interact with it - at least, that's Eduardo's philosophy. Would it work with Daniella?_ A nudge from Azure reminded Bia of their task.

Jewel was tying the feather bunches, and Blu was attaching the twigs to form the frames. Azure and Bia were helping each other by tying the strings throughout the frames, tossing brightly painted stones and seeds into the weaving. Bia kept faltering, watching Leo and Daniella struggling with the puddle. Azure had to keep reminding her to tie the string, but eventually, he paused, putting a half-done dreamcatcher down. "What's the matter, Beatriz?" He asked. Blu and Jewel also paused from the making, glancing at one another. They knew exactly what was wrong, and Azure did too.

"What do you think?" Bia murmured, tilting her head toward Daniella and Leo. She put down the passion fruit shell, filled with the stones and seeds. "That's what's wrong. She can't stand it, can she? I got an apology out of that vile Luciana, but Daniella barely batted an eyelid when I said Camille and Valentina were sorry. Thank goodness I didn't mention the rest." Bia prodded the light bruise on one of her wings, from her skirmish with Luciana.

The last week had been unpleasant - Luciana's four sisters often passed by, giving dirty looks. Clearly, Luciana had exaggerated the details, and not mentioned what Camille and Valentina did to Daniella. To make things more embarrassing, chicks in her classes kept asking why Bia had 'gone brazil nuts' a few days ago. Camille and Valentina were evidently friends with some of the ravine chicks, but luckily, no longer with Jessie, Feliz and Angelo, who refused to be friends with them or Ivanna again.

"I still can't believe you attacked that Luciana." Blu said, worriedly.

"Well, Blu, she had it coming." Jewel commented. Unlike Blu, Eduardo, and most of their family, Jewel thought that attacking Luciana was the right thing to do. "She's the worst mother I've ever seen. I'm glad you taught her a lesson, Bia." Bia winced, feeling guilty.

When she had attacked Luciana, Bia had thought that giving the Red-Bellied macaw a piece of her mind would make her feel better, but now she just felt horrible. No matter how vile Luciana was, Bia's heart was flooded with regret as she recalled the sight of Luciana's feathers flying. _But I'm not apologizing to her. I don't want to see that smug look on her face. Why did I attack her? She called Leo violent and said that Daniella deserved falling in the river... how could she say such a thing?_

Bia had underestimated how fiery a mother's love was - hearing Luciana talk that way about Leo and Daniella had enraged her like nothing else ever had. Seeing Bromeliad quarreling with another mother over a fallout between Angelica, Banjo and the other mother's children, Bia had thought that it was due to Bromeliad's fierce nature. But then, seemingly sweet and quiet Margaux had been seen arguing in defence of Monica and Suzy. Bia had never thought she'd lose control, herself - or maybe it was because Luciana actually enjoyed pushing her buttons. Bia had desperately wanted to claw the gloating smirk off the Red-Bellied macaw's stupid face.

"I feel stupid and humiliated, mom. I don't know what to do - Luciana's sisters keep passing through here to glare at me, and I don't know what to do about Daniella."

"Bia's right." Azure confessed, and Bia looked at her mate, relieved she wasn't the only one. "It's hard to wait until this blows over, since the sisters keep coming by to glare. And Daniella..." he looked at her, where she was staring at the puddle once more, Leo watching her impatiently. "...we don't know what to do about her. Being in the ravine every night... it's not helping her, with the plunge pool right there. You know what she needs? A change of scenery, maybe... a little time away from there might help her, so we can help her conquer this fear without prying eyes."

"I couldn't agree more." Bia murmured, gazing at Daniella and Leo."Maybe what they need is to see the world beyond the Amazon. A scenery change, maybe - Leo's always wanted to explore what he can, and Daniella's nervous of the outside. If she sees how wonderful the world out there is... maybe she'll be less afraid of it. If she experiences and sees water in other places, she'll shake it off. Maybe... somewhere on the coast." Beaches were gorgeous - Daniella had a love for all things beautiful. Surely, if she saw teal water rolling up a beach, it'd be less intimidating.

"Baby, if you're suggesting a vacation..." Bia glanced at Azure, hearing him. His expression was incredibly hopeful.

"You know what? I think... I think I am." She said, and her heart stirred with joy as she saw the twinkling look in his blue eyes, and the bright amber fleck.

"I think that's a fantastic idea!" Azure exclaimed. "We haven't travelled for some months."

"You really want to?" Bia asked, surprised yet incredibly happy.

"Yeah, why not?" Azure looked excitedly at the two chicks, several feet away. "Just us - you, me, Dani and Leo. It'll be great - we can have a break from classes, you can get away from the bratty birds, the kids see what's outside - Leo's curiosity is fulfilled, Daniella conquers her fears of the unknown. Everyone's a winner, but the question is..." Thoughtfulness entered his eyes. "...where should we go?"

Blu and Jewel looked at each other. Blu whispered in Jewel's ear, and for almost a minute, they whispered to one another. Bia and Azure looked at each other, wondering what Blu and Jewel were whispering about. Then, they turned around. "You said somewhere on the coast, didn't you?" Blu said.

"You don't want to take them somewhere you don't know anybody. But there is somewhere you've been, where there's friends you know." Jewel was smiling. "You've been there several times together. Why not head back there?"

"After all.. Rafael, Pedro, Nico and the rest of the gang really want to meet them!" Blu looked at Leo and Daniella. None of the kids had met the city friends in person yet - they promised to come down soon. Although, they had used a phone to keep in contact, and this time, they kept one in Blu's tree. This was enabled after Tiago had stolen a phone permanently from a tourist, insisting that the owner was vile. They could now call without going onto a tourist cruise, and without temporarily 'borrowing' a phone each time. The city birds visited the Amazon once every few months, but between this, they spoke through the phone. In Rio, there was a phone sitting in Luiz's garage, which the city gang used to call the Spix's macaws. The calling times were scheduled so that they could call back and forth at the right times, and now, with Blu's help, both parties had learned how to 'video call', meaning they could see each other while they spoke.

Bia felt a warm glow of excitement - seeing the city residents and the city again was long overdue. She looked toward Leo and Daniella, recalling her childhood. Seeing the world outside could be exactly what Daniella needed - she'd see that it wasn't so daunting. She looked at Azure.

"What do you think, Az? Do you want to go back to Rio?" Bia had an answer the moment he looked at her; 'yes' was written all over his face.


	6. Nerves

**_Hey guys - I start sixth form this week, so my updates might slow down a bit. I'll try and aim for one chapter a week at least, though, and to those also going back to education, have fun!_**

Daniella read through Bia's tattered book. Her mother had books stored away in their tree; Bia still read them after all this time, and the books were incredibly worn from the rainforest elements. Some of the ink was a little run from leaks in the room they were kept in, but still readable. The books were in relatively good condition, and both Daniella and Leo enjoyed reading them, even if some were tragic _-_ one of her favourite ones had made even Leo burst out in tears when the deutragonist, 'Augustus', died.

Daniella glanced up, hearing a male macaw. Looking up from her sentence, Daniella glanced outside. _There's another Augustus,_ she noted - she certainly preferred the book's Augustus. The bird one was unintentionally annoying and loved to show off his family. There he was now, flying with his mate, Andrea, and their five kids. She couldn't believe her auntie Carla had once dated Augustus, when they were teenagers; there had always been a sense of awkwardness between them, and Carla especially disliked him. They had split after mere weeks of being together, after Augustus had made a comment about her weight.

Daniella hated anyone like that. Carla wasn't fat at all - she was curvaceous with a wonderful and warm personality, while Augustus was rather vain, despite being a decent - albeit annoying - bird. What had Carla ever seen in him to begin with? _Good thing they broke up - uncle Bruno's way nicer._ Bruno had a peculiar set of head feathers - they were styled similarly to what her grandpa Blu, described as a 'mohawk'. Like Carla, he could brighten up any room and he could keep any secret. He was one of the friendliest macaws you could meet, and he and Carla sure could sing.

Daniella loved Carla and Bruno, and they adored her and Leo. She wondered why they hadn't had kids yet - she'd heard from Bia as to how maternal Carla was. She loved kids, and so did Bruno. They were a strong couple, so what was the wait? Maybe it was the club they ran, keeping them occupied. She'd overheard a conversation between Bruno and Isaac, recently - Bruno said that for some reason, no eggs had yet appeared in the nest. He had voiced his worries about how Mimi had always been 'infertile', whatever that meant - he seemed concerned that something had been 'passed down'. Isaac had assured Bruno that that was unlikely, but whatever it meant, Daniella was hoping that Carla would be a mother soon. More cousins would be wonderful, and she and Bruno certainly deserved to be parents.

"Daniella!" Bruno's voice called. Daniella peered over the branch; her parents had asked Carla and Bruno to watch her and Leo for a bit, since they had some news of some sort. It was all very secretive - Bia and Azure seemed to be visiting every member of the family. What was all the whispering about? She didn't get it, and neither did Leo.

"Uncle Bruno, what's this big secret?" Daniella asked, closing the book and flying down. "Mom and Dad won't tell us, and neither will anyone else." Bruno was waiting for her, with Carla and Leo down below. Leo was looking as puzzled as she was, and like her, he was trying to get an answer out of Carla.

"Well, if I told you, it would spoil the surprise." Bruno teased. "Come on. Your mom and dad are heading this way -" he paused when a leaf overhead drooped with the weight of last night's rainwater - the water trickled down harmlessly, splashing him somewhat. He didn't react, while Daniella leapt back as if it was snake venom. Her lavender eyes were round with fear. _The trip really is a good idea. She needs to get over it without any other chicks there to poke fun..._ It was true. Bruno had heard chicks giggling, everytime Daniella expressed fright whenever water made contact with her feathers. She needed to get over the fear before nicknames and teasing began, or worse, bullying. _She's already experienced something awful. What if those three girls hear about her fears, and come back with another water trick?_

While Bruno was worrying, Daniella landed beside Leo. "-but Carla, what's the secret? Come on, if it really is a surprise, I'll act surprised!" Leo haggled Carla for an answer.

"You'll be asking for an awful long time!" Carla said, affectionately. "Go on, they're coming down - go out there." Leo shrugged at Daniella, giving up. Daniella, dodging a pool of water, followed her brother outside, while Carla began whispering to Bruno; Daniella felt a shiver when 'water' was mentioned. Daniella and Leo emerged, in time to see Bia and Azure land on the sand, the draft created from their wings ruffling the chicks' plumage. Daniella brushed the long black feathers out of her eyes.

"Hey, you two. Your mom has something to say." Azure had one wing intertwined with one of Bia's.

"Uh-oh. What did we do?" Leo asked, nervously.

"We? I haven't done anything!" Daniella insisted, indignantly. Azure laughed.

"Don't worry, it's nothing you've done." He assured them, and Leo looked relieved.

"Phew. I thought they'd found out about me and Banjo putting a mud trap in Bromeliad's nest!" Leo whispered, with relief. Daniella, after resisting a giggle, turned her attention back to her parents. _Bromeliad hates messing up her feathers... especially with mud. It sticks to her like sap._

"Well, did I ever tell you much about my birthplace?" Bia looked excited. Daniella tipped her head to the side. _Mom called it Rio de Janeiro... she said it's in South-east Brazil, and Tiago and Orchid say it's got a 'big tall stone guy'..._ Daniella also recalled that odd rectangle that lit up whenever a button was pressed - a 'phone', apparently. She vaguely remembered someone mentioning a 'videocall'; she had been talking directly to two toucans, a canary and red-crested cardinal, and sometimes a slobbery creature called a 'dog', but this had been about a month or so ago, when her mind had dismissed things swiftly, she hadn't paid attention and her feathers had been very downy. She was sure their names had been Rafael, Eva, Nico, Pedro and Luiz...

"A little... it's a human city, right?" Daniella asked.

"That's right. Well, your dad and I were talking, and..." Bia glanced at Azure. "...we've decided to take you and Leo on a trip up there. We think it'll really benefit the both of you - it's time for you both to see what's outside the Amazon."

Daniella barely heard Leo's sqeauls of delight. She stared at her mother and father, in disbelief. _We're going... to Rio? But... that's miles away._ "Um.. are you sure? It... it's so far away and..." _Dangerous. The Amazon's dangerous as it is, I thought cities were horrible? Roberto was always saying how much cities freak him out._ Daniella shuffled her talons, recalling what she had been told about her paternal grandfather's upbringing. She hadn't been told the entire story in detail; she was too young to hear the fate of his family, so she had been told instead about how he had been taken from the wild, held in the captivity of two cruel humans. _Humans... some tell me they're horrible, others say they're not all bad... is it wise to venture to a place that's full of them?_ Bia and Azure looked at Daniella, for she hadn't said a word while Leo had been leaping up and down with excitement. They looked worriedly at one another.

"We'll be careful, of course. Rio isn't dangerous as long as you're in a good part of it, which is where we always stick to." Azure assured, seeing the frown on Daniella's face. "Besides, we'll spend more time in the rainforest anyway. I promise, Rio's not as dangerous as you might think.

"It's lovely there..." Bia began, hoping that they could soothe Daniella's obvious fears. "Your dad and I have been there plenty of times. We know what's safe and what's not, so you both have nothing to worry about."

"I don't know... I guess it might be okay..." Despite her misgivings, Daniella couldn't help but wonder what Rio was really like. If she wasn't scared of anything they could run into, she'd probably be as excited as Leo...

"It sounds amazing!" squealed Leo, joy sparkling in his dark hazel eyes. "I've always wanted to see what's outside! Dani!" he whirled round to his sister. "Don't you see? This might be really good for you! Maybe we can help you get over your fear of water, while we're there! Please, sis? If you're scared of anything, I'll protect you!" Daniella appreciated his words, but she couldn't help but feel like a coward. _I shouldn't need protecting... I need to learn to take care of myself._

"We promise, you'll love it. You'll love our city friends." Bia's eyes were soft with love. "What do you say, Daniella?" Daniella hesitated. She looked from her warm parents to the bouncing and wildly excited Leo. A little part of her wanted to go, and a big part of her wanted to stay in the ravine, where she knew it was safe. She stiffened. _Stay here, where the other kids whisper as to how much of a wimp I am? Who am I kidding? If I leave for a while, maybe they'll forget about how scared I am of things..._ Daniella sighed, momentarily criticizing herself for her fears. _You know what? Hen up. You can't stay here forever!_

"I suppose it could be fun." Daniella said, trying to feel brave. Leo jumped for joy.

"Brilliant! I love you Dani, mom and dad! I'm telling our cousins right now, I'm so excited!" Leo sped away, bursting with his happiness, leaving Daniella alone with her parents. She looked anxiously at her mother and father, who looked down with sympathy.

"It's for your own good, honey." Azure said, gently. Daniella mustered a smile, hoping to convince her parents that she wasn't scared at all, but she had never been a good liar. They both saw her nerves, yet Bia and Azure hoped that this trip would turn timid and shy Daniella into something new.


	7. Farewells

"Daniella! We're leaving in five minutes!" Azure's voice rang throughout the tree. Daniella looked glumly over her shoulder, replying with a fakely cheerful 'okay', before collapsing back into the nest, staring at the ceiling, as she usually did. She didn't want to go on this trip - she did, and she didn't, at the same time. Daniella sank further into the thick moss, comforted, but it still wasn't entirely soothing.

She wished she could be as happy as Leo. Her brother had been a ball of energy since yesterday, when they had been told the news. He'd been flying around like crazy, eating fast and fidgeting, and last night Leo had tossed and turned, barely able to sleep in his excitement. Daniella too hadn't been able to sleep, but she couldn't sleep due to worry.

If her cousins had gone instead of her, Daniella wished she could be envious - but she'd be anxious to see them leave for somewhere so far away. All seven of them were insanely jealous, although Monica and Alana had apparently been promised a trip to Margaux's native French Guiana, and Feliz, Angelo and Jessie were going to Rio with Tiago and Orchid for New Year's Eve anyway. So not to be the only ones who hadn't left the Amazon, Banjo and Angelica too had been promised a journey of some kind - Bromeliad and Gabriel had apparently been considering Venezuela, which they had joined Bia and Azure on a trip to last year.

The seven cousins were outside with their parents, and the rest of the family was talking excitedly amongst themselves. Peeking out of the tree, Daniella saw Leo surrounded by their ecstatic cousins.

"We'll miss you, Leo!" Monica exclaimed. Leo was hugging all of his cousins quickly - he obviously wanted to get going. _I wish I felt the same way as you,_ Daniella thought. She distracted herself, looking at the adults. Bia was talking with her side of the family - Blu, Jewel, Eduardo, Mimi, Tiago and Carla, with Bruno at her side. Azure was with his own; Roberto and Sophia were talking in lower voices, telling him to stay safe, while Bromeliad, Orchid, Isaac, Margaux and Gabriel were bidding him farewell too. After a few moments, Azure and Bia swapped, to say farewell to their in-law family.

"You do be careful!" Roberto urged, hugging his daughter-in-law. "I'd like you all back in one piece!"

"Don't worry, we will be!" Bia assured, before turning to hug Orchid, who wore her pale yellow bandana. "If I see some nice fabric, do you want me to make you another?" Before Orchid could answer, her younger son came dashing over, skidding to a halt at Bia's feet.

"I'll miss you, Bia!" Angelo exclaimed. "Lessons are going to be so boring without you and uncle Azure!"

"Oh, I'll miss you too." Bia replied, voice full of affection, gathering Angelo into her wings and hugging him tight. The rest of the kids then came running, lining up and waiting to say goodbye to Bia before they did Azure, who was occupied with his in-law family.

"-and I trust that you'll keep my granddaughter and great-grandkids safe." Azure was shaking Eduardo's wing, looking somewhat afraid at the seriousness, before Eduardo broke out of the formality, hugging his granddaughter's mate. Behind Eduardo, Blu was trying not to laugh, and Jewel and Mimi were giggling amongst themselves.

"Come on, stop scaring your in-law." Mimi chortled. "I want a hug as well."

Daniella felt someone watching her. She quickly ducked, realizing she was in full view of her family, from below. There was a brief pause, and then a murmur. "-maybe I should talk to her... Blu, you coming?" she stiffened. Someone was coming up; she heard wing flaps, and then a gentle tap outside.

"May we come in?" That was Blu's voice.

"I'll be down in a minute..." Daniella said, before the two entered the room. She resisted a sigh. Her maternal grandparents looked upon her with gentle eyes. _Everyone looks at me like that. They feel sorry for me._ Daniella hated feeling pitied. She felt weak and helpless, like how Orchid and Sophia had once felt - after what happened to both of them, everyone had fussed over them and treated them like glass, as though they'd break. Daniella knew that being shy and the victim of such a cruel act was nothing compared to losing an eye like Orchid, or enduring the unspeakable horror Sophia had been put through, but she was looked upon with such pity. It annoyed her. "I'm -"

"We know very well that you're not alright." Jewel said, giving her that look that couldn't be argued with. "You went through something despicable, and you haven't been the same since. You're afraid, aren't you?" Daniella looked from Jewel to Blu, knowing they were right.

"How is taking me to a dangerous city supposed to help me get over my fears?" Daniella asked, feeling trapped. "I don't see..."

"Well..." Jewel nudged Blu. "Maybe your grandpa has an answer for that."

"I do?" Blu whispered, before his eyes widened at Jewel's look. "Oh, I see. You're right." He took a step forward, sitting down next to Daniella. "Remember how I met your grandma Jewel? In Rio, where you're going?"

"Yeah." Daniella loved that story, and so did Leo.

"When I went there, I was less brave then I am today. But when I spent time there... I changed for the better. Maybe if you go, you'll change too."

"He's right, sweetie - it's the best thing for you." Jewel's turquoise eyes glittered with sympathy. "The land between here and there is beautiful, you'll love our city friends - you'll enjoy it, we promise. Now, are you ready?" Daniella hesitated, still not wanting to leave the comfort of the ravine, or her family. With a jolt, she realized that she wouldn't see the rest of her family for a few weeks. _I want to make them proud, though... I can't stand them feeling sorry for me! Pull yourself together, Dani. You need to do something._

"I'm ready." Daniella said, boldly. _Not ready. But still._ "Thanks, grandpa Blu, grandma Jewel."

"That's our little girl." Blu said, fondly, hugging her tightly, before Jewel did the same. Daniella then followed them outside, uncomfortable when all eyes turned to her, for she was the only one who hadn't been outside to join in the farewells. _Maybe I should have come out sooner._

"Oh, bye, sweetie!" Sophia was first to pluck Daniella up, into a hug. "Don't let thoughts of those awful girls bring you down! You come back and show them what you're made of."

"Listen to your grandmother." Roberto said, over her shoulder. "She knows best!"

"You're saying I don't?" Jewel asked, playfully, beside Blu, who looked a little emotional. She prodded him. "Sad to see them go?"

"Of course not!" Blu protested.

"Come here, Daniella." Eduardo said, once Roberto and Sophia had moved back. "You be careful in that place, yes?"

"Don't worry about me." Daniella insisted. Her great-grandfather was incredibly protective; Bia and Azure had had to do a lot of persuading to make Eduardo allow them to go without anyone else there.

"Have fun, Daniella!" Isaac and Tiago said together, from where they had been saying good-bye to Azure. Bromeliad and Orchid also came forward, wishing luck and kissing her on the forehead, and after they moved back an enthusiastic Mimi almost suffocated her in one of her famous embraces.

"Come on, Mimi! Our turn!" Carla said. Daniella, breathing deeply after the tight hug, hopped over to Carla and Bruno.

"Have a great time, Daniella." Bruno said, cheerfully, ruffling her head feathers from where Carla was hugging her.

"I will!" Daniella said, jumping out of Carla's wings; finally, she braced herself for saying goodbye to her cousins. Seven chicks swarmed upon her.

"We'll miss you!" Banjo and Angelica exclaimed together, fighting their way to be first to say goodbye. "Bring us lots of souvenirs!" Angelica exclaimed. The areas above Bromeliad's eyes lifted, and Gabriel rolled his light green eyes.

"Joking!" Banjo exclaimed, as he and Angelica bounced toward their parents.

Monica and Suzy were next, embracing her in a joint hug. "Bye, Daniella! We'll try and use that thingamajig.." Suzy struggled to think, and so did Monica.

"Phone, Suzanna!" Isaac corrected. "You might not - we're taking you to French Guiana next week!" Monica and Suzy exchanged a partially saddened look, but it was mostly excited, as they looked back at Isaac and Margaux with happy eyes. Feliz, Angelo and Jessie moved forward last.

"See you!" Feliz said, while Daniella said goodbye to Angelo. "When you come back, tell us everything about your trip!" Jessie was last - she hugged Daniella rather tight.

"I'm sorry. This is my fault... I hope this trip reverses the damage I did." Guilt flooded Jessie's golden brown eyes. "I hope you have fun."

"It wasn't entirely your fault, Jess." Angelo whispered. "It was ours, too."

"I don't blame you guys. I shouldn't have been so afraid..." Daniella pulled away, out of the last hug. Jessamyn retreated, so she stood with her brothers and parents, still looking painfully remorseful. Orchid and Tiago exchanged a look of concern, and Orchid placed a comforting wing around Jessie.

"Just smile, honey." Orchid said, kindly.

"Wave goodbye to them!" Tiago encouraged, to distract the ashamed-looking trio. Daniella felt the familiar twinge of guilt. _Sorry._

"Daniella! Come on!" Leo sqeauled, behind her. "We're going!" Daniella turned, and saw her brother waiting with Bia and Azure.

"Ready?" Bia asked, hazel eyes shining, and Daniella nodded. Leo was fluffing up his plumage, trembling with excitement, desperate to get going. Azure and Bia did one final wave, before finally extending their wings.

"Let's go!" Azure exclaimed, and Leo and Daniella were airborne, following their parents - of course, over the trees, not the plunge pool. Daniella looked toward the body of water, belly flipping. She couldn't see herself flying over it, when she came back, let alone going on the lilypads... _If I do by some miracle get over water... that'll be the first thing I do when I come back here. I'll ski on the lillies._

"Oh, look! His eyes are watering!" Jewel exclaimed, at Blu, who was blinking to conceal the emotions. Daniella looked back, feeling a flash of regret, watching her waving family grow smaller. Eduardo looked on with his usual worry, while most everyone else looked cheerful; her aunts and uncles waved alongside her cousins, and both sets of grandparents. Roberto and Sophia stood beside Blu and Jewel, watching their son leave with his family; Roberto was swelling with pride, as was Sophia, while Jewel was comforting an emotional Blu.

"Bye, guys!" Carla waved alongside Bruno. "We'll call as soon as we can!"

"Have fun!" Bromeliad looked around Banjo and Angelica, who were flying about before her and Gabriel, shouting their farewells.

 _"Au revoir!"_ Both Isaac and Margaux exclaimed, from where she and Isaac stood behind Monica and Suzy, who leapt up and down, waving. Daniella barely realized that the tribe was calling to them, too - dozens of voices sounded, and her cheeks grew warm with embarrassment when she saw all of them, in the trees - almost everyone was waving and wishing luck, even those who Daniella's parents didn't know. Despite this, Daniella couldn't help but feel touched to the core. With one final look at her family, Daniella looked ahead, flying after Bia, Azure, and the ecstatic Leo, who was doing all sorts of acrobatics while they flew.

"We're going to Rio! Yay!" Leo cried, and Bia and Azure glanced at one another, exchanging smiles. Bia nuzzled Azure mid-flight, before she fell back, so that Daniella wasn't flying alone. She watched Daniella, heart flooded with sympathy. _Don't worry, my darling. We're going to help you._

With that, the family of four left the ravine behind, leaving the tribe and the plunge pool that terrified Daniella.


	8. Mother knows best

Daniella sat on the boat roof, skin crawling with unease at the sound of water rushing by, the feel of the boat moving through the river. Her parents had almost dragged her onto it, and it had taken Leo threatening to push her into the river itself to get her aboard. He hadn't been serious, but Daniella had gotten on before she heard him say that it was a joke.

Behind her, her family slept as the boat slowly drew nearer to the closest city, Manaus. Leo was sleeping on his stomach, wings folded under his chin. Azure leaned against a crate, his long head feathers covering his eyes, while Bia was snuggled into his side, stirring occasionally for she was a light sleeper. Daniella watched them briefly, before turning away, trying to distract herself from the feel of the boat swaying.

Daniella gazed at the sky, which was stained a rose-gold from the oncoming dawn. The sun wasn't yet up, although the horizon was growing more gold and the stars had all faded away, the moon half-sunk behind the horizon. There was quiet upon the world; the only sound was the murmur of boat machinery, the quiet rush of water around the boat side. Daniella stared at the white foam, the long ripples. Her claws dug into the rope beneath her as the boat swayed slightly.

The water wasn't like that of the cave stream. It wasn't black and murky, not as rapid or sinister. It was like a mirror, clear and tranquil, beautiful. She saw her reflection, how the water reflected the dawn sky and the gradient of pink to gold to the fading navy blue of night. A stream of cloud drifted across, like spilled milk. It was beautiful, the most beautiful morning she had seen. But Daniella could only look at the liquid crystal for only a few moments before being reminded of slimy fish and bones, the sound of mockery and Sophia's petrified scream... Daniella retreated from the boat edge, so she wasn't looking at the water.

"Dani?" Murmured a voice. Daniella looked over her shoulder. Bia was blinking, fatigue in her hazel eyes as she shifted away from Azure, slowly so not to disturb him. "Why are you awake? It's still early." Her mother's feathers were fluffy, her eyes soft, from sleep.

"I woke a bit early... couldn't drift back off." Daniella replied. Bia got up, stepping around Leo. She drifted her wingtips across his cheek as she passed, and Leo smiled in his sleep, before nuzzling his face into his wings. Bia crossed over to Daniella, sitting down next to her.

"Are you okay, Daniella?" Bia asked, a frown on her features. Daniella felt a stir of dread. _Oh no. Not a serious talk..._

"I..." Daniella was reluctant to share her troubles. "I'm fine, mom."

"No, you're not. You've been quiet ever since we left, and before that, as well." Nothing went past Bia, especially not when Daniella or Leo were involved. She leaned against a coil of rope. "A mother knows everything. Are you worried about this journey? Worried about... that?" She inclined her head toward the glassy river surface. Daniella shivered slightly. "We're going to help you move past it, away from prying eyes."

"But, mom..." Daniella looked up with stricken lavender eyes. "I can't! It's too... too..." Her voice faded, and Bia's face flooded with strife. "I don't know how I'm going to get over it. It's too... hard. It's impossible."

"Daniella, nothing's impossible." Bia insisted. "Well... a lot of things aren't impossible, anyway. Conquering a fear isn't one of them." She looked at the tranquillity of the river. "Water, it's... it's just a liquid. It's partially made of the air you breathe - oxygen makes up a great deal of water. Water's nothing to be afraid of. Come here - let me show you." Bia shifted closer to the edge, but Daniella froze. Bia extended her wing, waiting. "Look, I'm here. As long as you're around water and I'm here, no harm will come to you."

The sentence repeated in Daniella's mind, and it buried itself there. _As long as mom's around... I'll be safe._ The kindness and honesty radiated from Bia like light shone from the sun. She trusted and loved Bia with all her heart; of course nothing would happen to her. After a pause, Daniella took Bia's wing, coming very close to the boat side. It swayed precariously, and she held tight, heart thudding.

"Look down there." Bia encouraged. Daniella slowly looked down, at her reflection. She saw herself at her mother's side, and somehow it was less scary, when she saw herself there, not on her own. It was then that she heard splashing. In the rosy morning, a few bizarre creatures were leaping in and out of the water, clicking and making sounds like squeaky laughter. "They're river dolphins. Aren't they beautiful?" Daniella stared without replying, captivated by the sight of the beautiful creatures - so graceful, so happy. "See? They're in water." Obviously it wasn't the same - river dolphins didn't drown. But it was comforting.

Daniella turned to Bia, who opened her wings. Unable to resist, Daniella threw her wings around her mother, who held her close, stroking her black head feathers. "Thank you, mom." Daniella whispered. She nuzzled into her mother's soft feathers, comforted by the gentle beating of Bia's heart, the distinct scent of Bia's plumage. All birds carried a distinct scent - Sophia smelt like coconuts, and Azure had a cool scent, fresh and clean like morning breeze. But Bia's scent was especially unique to Daniella. It was dark and earthy with floral undertones, like the flowers that bloomed at night. It was the scent of midnight, to Daniella.

At that moment, sunlight poured across the river, for the sun had finally peered over the horizon. The sun was so bright, Daniella had to squint. Turning their backs to the sun, so that they could see, the mother and daughter watched the light strike the sleeping forms of Azure and Leo. Azure muttered when the glaring light hit his closed eyelids. He shifted, awaking and shielding his eyes. He squinted, making out the sight of his mate and chick. "I can just about see you both... isn't that bright?" yawning, Azure sat up, shaking his thick feathers, pushing back the ones that hung over his blue and amber-flecked eyes. He looked down, to Leo, who was somehow still asleep despite the glare of the sun. "Wake up, buddy." Azure said, shaking Leo.

"Ugh... go away, dad..." Leo turned on his side, so to be more comfortable, but then he was aware of the sunshine. Leo covered his face, muttering. "Stupid, stupid, stupid, sun..." Leo wasn't a morning bird. Daniella giggled when Leo looked up, looking grouchy and tired. He tried to move toward the shade, but Azure stopped him.

"Hey, we're nearly there, now. There's no point in sleeping more!" Azure pointed out. "See? Manaus is there." Interest rose within Daniella. Twisting round, Daniella saw an odd patch of colour across the vast river - she felt the familiar stir of fear, however, when she saw the water. The boat lazily approached, the city melting into view.

Daniella had never seen a city before, but the brown blocks looked out of place beside the green forest. A series of strange creatures were now moving on the boat deck below - they were so weird. They walked upright, unlike most other animals she'd seen. The only hair they possessed was on their faces or heads, and weird coverings were on their skin, made of similar materials to what Orchid's bandanas were made of.

"What the heck are those?" Asked Leo, wrinkling his beak, for he had spotted them too. The sight of the peculiar beings distracted the siblings from their first city. "They're so ugly..."

"So rude. But right." Azure said, and his laughter halted when Bia gave him an irritated look. He shrugged with a grin, and eventually, Bia found the funny side, smiling too.

"They're humans." She explained. "Didn't either of you notice them when we got on the boat?"

"I was too busy making sure Leo didn't shove me into the river." Daniella muttered, under her breath.

"Humans are odd." Azure commented, nobody hearing Daniella's remark. "Some are good, some not so good... except for the humans at the Spix's Wing and a few you'll meet in Rio, it's best to avoid all humans. You can never tell which are good."

"Your father's right. As much as I wish all humans weren't dangerous..." Bia sighed. "They can bring so much destruction, but good, too. Anyway, get ready to fly -"

"No!" Daniella fastened her claws onto a rope. Bia and Azure exchanged a look of disappointment. They'd have to wait for the boat to pull up to the dock - there was no way Daniella would fly over the wide stretch of river.

"Are you sure?" Bia asked, hopefully. "This trip is about you getting over your fear..." but Daniella stubbornly shook her head. The boat was frustratingly slow - it'd be at least fifteen minutes until it pulled up to the Manaus dock.

"In that case, I'll have another ten minutes..." Leo leaned on Azure, and was asleep again in moments. Daniella turned away, eyes fixed on the rainforest, while Bia looked at Azure, feeling useless.

"Mother knows best, Bia." Azure assured her. "This is going to work."

Bia wished she could believe him.


	9. Somewhere in Bahia

They'd travelled for a couple of days. They'd flown most of the way, while other parts had included hitching a ride on trains and trucks. A few times, they had tried to coax Daniella onto a boat - or near a body of water at all - without success. _Nothing's changed,_ thought Azure, sadly, but them the optimism came back. _She'll grow out of her fear, and her reluctance to talk to others._ His confidence flowed through him. Many chicks were even more shy than Daniella was, and some of them grew to be the chattiest, boldest kids in the ravine.

Azure was perched on a slender branch, looking over Leo and Daniella. Leo was playing in the vines, swinging from one tree and back again, while Daniella was following an enormous butterfly. Azure saw so much of himself and Bia in the two, both physically and in their personalities. Daniella was the dreamer - she wandered around, examining nature, like her mother. Leo was the confident and out-going one, like Azure. _They're both intelligent, like Bia is, and they can both sing!_ He'd heard them sing a few days ago - it was obvious that Leo and Daniella had inherited singing genes from his side of the family. _Daniella is almost like a young version of her mother. Bia was quiet - but not this quiet, I don't think._ Azure shifted at this thought, as if brushing off the worry.

Azure and Bia took different routes everytime they travelled to and from Rio, but they often passed through places they'd seen before. This was different to the rainforest Daniella and Leo were used to - it was more open, with wide stretches of grassland. It was lovely here, cooler than the humid Amazon. The grassland was wide and green, with flat-topped hills scattered around. He wasn't sure, but he thought it was somewhere in Bahia. _Nearly there - just a few more days._

This was the best journey to Rio they'd had, mostly because of Leo and Daniella being there. Azure adored his kids - they brightened every hollow, made him smile when he was feeling his most down. It was still so surreal for him - _parenthood_. It felt so strange, to wake up every morning to see these little birds that looked like him and Bia, to hear them call him 'Dad'. Sometimes he wondered if he was dreaming the whole thing.

"We haven't got far to go, if I remember right." Bia's voice stirred him out of his thoughts, bringing him back to the present. His mate landed beside him - Azure turned, expecting to see her usual smile, but her smile was no where in sight. Her hazel eyes were drooping somewhat, eyelids half shut. Her eyes were as beautiful as they always were, but they didn't seem as bright as usual. Azure felt a flash of concern. _Something's wrong._

"Beatriz, are you okay? You look a bit..." He tilted his head, wondering how to describe her. "Exhausted." Bia sighed, rubbing her eyes and stifling a yawn.

"I was just worrying a bit last night. A few bad dreams, as well, and not just about Daniella." Bia sat on the branch, chin resting on her wings, watching Leo and Daniella. Azure shifted away, so she had to look at him.

"Did you really have a bad dream about Daniella?" He asked, in concern. Azure then recalled Bia muttering last night - she'd shifted frequently in her sleep, but she hadn't woken, murmuring barely audible words. Leo had been woken by the feeling of movement, and he'd groggily asked why Bia was tossing and turning. Azure had whispered for him to get back to sleep, and after a few moments, Leo's eyes had drooped shut again, and he'd burrowed back down beside Daniella.

Bia looked down at their daughter below, worry in her eyes. "Tell me." Azure said, gently, following her gaze. Daniella was still following the butterfly, and now, Leo had joined her, staring at the dazzling colours with awe as the insect fluttered, occasionally landing on a flower.

"It was terrible." Bia murmured, shuddering. She hesitated, before she spilled the contents of her dream. "She was... alone. Scared, as well. She had no friends. I could see her cousins and Leo, but I heard them complaining about... how she's lonely, and how she can't take care of herself. Everyone was embarrassed to be seen with her - even our other family ignored her. In my dream... nobody loved her." Azure felt a hard blow to his chest, for the thought of that flooded his heart with dread.

"Hey, we both know that'll never happen." Azure said, firmly. "Her cousins adore her, and Leo loves her to bits. She'll always have family to love her."

"But... the water. What if she does fall into the plunge pool?" Azure was momentarily confused, before Bia explained, looking agitated. "Before the dream ended, I saw her falling into the plunge pool and getting swept away..."

"That won't happen either. That's your memories playing games with your fears." Bia looked at him at this statement - Azure was giving her a searching look. "You still think about that?" Azure asked, knowing exactly why Bia would dream about the plunge pool, especially about Daniella falling in. Bia wasn't afraid of the plunge pool, but she hadn't looked at it in the same way since.

"Every day." Bia murmured. "I can never forget the feeling. That cold water... the feeling of _her_ claws..." There was a long silence; back home, there seemed to be a taboo around the Hyacinth's name. Uttering it silenced every conversation - the name was strictly forbidden around Sophia especially, for obvious reasons. Tough-as-claws Sophia would grow enraged whenever someone insensitively asked her about Kerja - her feathers would bristle, her midnight blue eyes would blaze. But afterwards, when she was alone, she descended into a strange mood, gazing at a random object, looking lost until someone she loved spoke to her. Bia was still speaking, he realized. "She nearly killed me, and my mom. And you, as well..." Her eyes moved to his throat, and he instinctively covered it, protecting it from an imaginary human knife held by deformed talons. If it weren't for Bia, he'd be long dead.

"You shouldn't think about that..." Azure began, before a cruel memory of Bia and Kerja returned. He had a vision, of Bia's wingtips missing his by centimetres, when Kerja had grabbed her and sent them both tumbling into the plunge pool. He remembered flying over the surface, shrieking Bia's name until his throat was raw. The thought of her, lost forever in the dark, swirling water. Suddenly he understood why water could terrify Daniella so much. _She's so young, too. Fears run deeper if they manifest in childhood._

"She... _Kerja_... is gone." Sometimes he was the only one who had the courage to say the name out loud. "There'll never be another bird as evil as she was, not in our home. It's been seven years, Bia - we need to forget her." _Maybe someday everyone will forget Kerja. We need to focus on the future._ "Now, about Daniella." He reminded Bia, for they had gone very off-track.

"Oh, yes..." Bia shook her feathers, as if shaking off her bad memories. "I dreamt of her wandering around, alone... and it scares me. Even more than Kerja scares me. I can't help but wonder if it's... an omen, of what's to come."

Azure stared at his mate, shocked that she could think this way. _That won't happen! It won't... it can't. Daniella just needs time!_ "It won't. Not so long as we're around." Azure replied, trying to sound certain. "She's adored by her family! Give her time - she'll make friends."

"But what if she doesn't?" Bia's voice rose in pitch - she was getting upset, eyes flooded with intense fear. "I'll be a failure of a mom. I already am - I should have been there to protect her against those three kids, but I wasn't! Luciana was right. I really am a bad mother!"

"Stop it!" Azure cried, heartstrings twisting as he saw the look of distraught on Bia's face; tears were already making her eyes glossy. "What happened to her wasn't your fault. It was just three kids being stupid and irresponsible, nothing to do with you. You're the best mother Daniella and Leo could ever have, and Luciana is just vain and arrogant. _She's_ a terrible mother, and I genuinely worry about how those two daughters of her's will end up." He really did. Camille and Valentina could end up like their nonchalant and uncaring mother, or maybe worse. Bia had a wing covering her face, and she didn't resist when Azure enveloped her in his wings. "Let me ask you something. Out of which one of us, who was the only one who could stop Leo crying, when he was a hatchling?"

"Well..." Bia sounded reluctant to admit it. "I guess it was me..."

"Exactly. And which of us was the only one who could coax Daniella outside for the first time, when she was really young? You!" Daniella had been terrified of venturing outside for the first time, and Azure had tried to encourage her outside for almost an hour. When Bia had arrived, it had only taken fifteen minutes to persuade Daniella to leave the hollow.

"To be fair you helped..." Bia tried, but Azure shook his head.

"You're the most amazing bird I know - you teach countless classes of kids and Leo and Daniella haven't missed out on anything from you, Bia, and they adore you. And you know you're a great mom when they love you as much as they do."

Bia laughed, the tears gone. "You're still such a charmer."

"It's not difficult when it's the truth." Azure replied, in a sing-song voice. "Try and be a little optimistic, okay? She's young. She'll grow in confidence, conquer her fears, and when we get home, she'll be a changed girl."


	10. Sibling fallout

Daniella flew, the breeze ruffling her fluffy feathers, whipping the black ones on her head away from her face, out of her lavender eyes. She enjoyed the feeling of the cool air of the oncoming evening, which wasn't far off. The air was fresher than back home, where most days, it was humid. Or maybe it was the fact that she hadn't ever flown this high, where it wasn't as hot. She hadn't been outside alone, so she hadn't had the opportunity to let go and fly as high as she dared.

Flying so high was liberating to Daniella. It was one of the few things she didn't fear, but she wasn't sure why heights didn't scare her. Maybe it was because she knew for sure that there was always land beneath, that she could trust her wings to carry her and bring her back to earth safely. She wasn't sure about flying directly over water yet, though. Ahead, she saw her mother and father flying along, engaged in some sweet conversation. Bia was blushing, while Azure whispered to her with love in his bright blue gaze.

They always spoke so sweetly to one another - they were both such romantics. All her coupled relatives were; Roberto and Sophia sang to one another, with their own special song. Carla and Bruno would sing to each other as well, but they spent more time dancing. Jewel was always laughing as she got rid of a spider for Blu, who thanked her with every cute nickname under the sun, and Tiago and Orchid were always teasing each other and exchanging banter. Bromeliad and Gabriel were always having friendly arguments, and Isaac and Margaux had romantic conversations in French, knowing that nobody else would understand what they were saying. At least Daniella guessed it was romantic, based by their giggling and adoring gazes. Monica and Suzy, being able to understand what they were saying, always complained about how embarrassing their parents were.

 _I wonder how they all are?_ She thought. As if hearing her thoughts, Leo appeared beside her, appearing from the clouds above. "I'd have thought that Monica and Suzy would be starting their journey by now." Daniella then remembered that Isaac and Margaux said they were going to take Monica and Suzy up to French Guiana to see their mother's home country.

"Really? It's been a whole week already? That's flown."

"Well, so have we!" Leo pointed out, excitedly, in an attempt to make her giggle. Daniella rolled her lavender eyes, bumping into Leo's side on purpose. Leo narrowed his dark hazel eyes, playfully, before he began to chase her. Daniella felt a shell melt away, as she flew straight upwards, into the cloud cover. Leo chased her again, laughing.

"Don't fly too far!" Bia's voice called, from below. "I don't want you getting lost!"

"They won't!" Daniella heard Azure. Their father didn't worry about them, but their mother did.

"I wonder why mom worries about everything?" Daniella wondered this question aloud.

"I guess she just wants us to be safe." Leo shrugged as they flew through the clouds. "Yeah, _she_ worries about everything..." he muttered, under his breath, the word 'hypocrite' moving through his mind. He was always using terminology, like Bia. "She worries about you especially." Daniella frowned, but then Leo changed the subject. "Let's go higher!"

Daniella and Leo flew into the layer of cloud above. Daniella didn't see him, for the clouds were thick, so she could fly however she wanted. She drew her wings close and spun, so that she was twirling, shooting upwards. Once she felt the warmth of the sun wash back over her, Daniella threw her wings back out, so she swept briefly before bouncing into normal flight. Leo soon followed, appearing several feet away. They kept to a river-like gap between the clouds, so that they could occasionally pop down and ensure that they weren't too far from their parents.

"I really do wonder how everyone else is?" Leo said, as they flew, flying over the mounds and dipping into dents in the white cotton. "Uncle Isaac, Aunt Margaux and Monica and Suzy are going to French Guiana, so we won't get to talk to them until they get home. At least we'll see the other five... I hope they don't miss us too much."

"And I hope Jess isn't feeling too guilty..." Daniella stressed. The look of guilt of Jessie's face, as well as on those of Feliz and Angelo, had played on her mind since they left.

"Don't worry about them. It's a Thursday - they'll be with Johanna and Alejandro's kids." Tiago and Orchid's brood usually spent the fourth day of the week playing with their friends, Aurora, Merry, and Diaval. They were the kids of the Blue-and-Gold matriarch who had tirelessly nursed the sick Jewel while Daniella's parents had been in search of the Estrella, seven years back.

"I bet Banjo and Angelica'll be with them." Daniella said. "They're friends with them too. I can't wait to see all five of them, though, on that videocall or whatever it's called..."

"Yeah, all five of them..." Leo paused. "Or maybe we'll see more..."

"What do you mean?" Daniella said, quizzically, thinking of her cousins.. "I thought you said Monica and Suzy would be journeying by now? Or do you mean our grandparents and other family?"

"Well, yeah, but..." Leo's eyes were hopeful. "I overheard a conversation, right before we left. Carla and Bruno were talking about kids - you know how they've always wanted them..."

"What exactly were they saying?" Daniella quired, in curiosity.

"Carla just said she had a feeling..." Leo replied. "She didn't say anything about eggs in the nest, but she said she felt as though... something was different. She says she's been moody, and had a craving for camu camu fruit." Female macaws sometimes had mood swings and changes in appetite when an egg was developing. Apparently Bia had been a bit snappy shortly before Leo's egg had appeared in the nest, which was out of character for someone so gentle-natured. But most curious of all was that she'd been eating a lot of lemon fruit in that time. It was bizarre - hardly anyone ate the whole fruit of the lemon for obvious reasons, but Bia had been eating them despite their sourness. Maybe that explained why Leo's natural scent seemed to carry a hint of citrus.

"You might be right..." Daniella said, and suddenly she felt a stir of excitement. _Carla and Bruno deserve kids more than anybody... surely now is the time?_ "I wouldn't tell mom and dad, in case it's not true. We wouldn't want to get their hopes up, or jinx it."

"Yes, I'm with you." Leo agreed. "Anyway... you looking forward to Rio?" Now, there seemed to be an edge to his voice, as if he was dreading her answer. Daniella's excitement subdued somewhat.

"Yes and no." She admitted. Leo studied her carefully, with a look she couldn't place. "It's... it's weird. I'm a little curious. But..." then the fear became obvious. Her voice and eyes were full of it. "I'm mostly terrified." Leo stared at her, shocked, and then annoyed.

"But there's nothing to be afraid of!" Leo exclaimed, loudly. He sounded tired, frustrated, and the force of his voice surprised her. "Daniella, it's a city surrounded by rainforest. That's _it._ No offence but... why are you afraid of almost _everything?_ It's embarrassing and, well - pathetic." Daniella narrowed her eyes, feeling her skin prickle with hurt, and then Leo's face flooded with regret. "That was too much. I'm sorry -"

"You're very supportive, aren't you, Leo?" Daniella hissed, bitterly, showing the sarcasm she hid from those back home. "Thanks a lot." She folded her wings flat against her, so she plunged into the clouds below. Daniella forced back the tears, for she didn't want to be seen crying by her parents.

"Daniella, wait!" Leo protested, about to apologize for his insensitivity. But she was long gone, leaving him to deal with his guilt. "You're such an idiot, Leo..." He scolded himself. Leo felt hot shame pour over him, like a shower of glowing embers. _I'm her brother. I'm not supposed to lose my temper like that - I should understand her._ Assuming that Daniella was now flying with Bia and Azure, Leo continued to fly above the cloud cover, too guilty to head back down. _I'm so impulsive! I can't keep my stupid mouth shut. But then... it is a bit much. She's scared of trying anything new._

Leo flew with misery, through the clouds. As he flew through the whiteness, he became aware that his feathers were growing damp. _Of course. Clouds are made of water. I wonder if Daniella knows that..._ Would she be more reluctant about flying in clouds if she did? He wouldn't risk it by telling her. He didn't want to ruin her fun, especially after what he'd just said. _Oh... I have to apologize._ "Daniella!" Leo flew down, to level with his family. He spotted three blue shapes ahead. "I -"

"There you are, Leo!" Azure exclaimed. Leo paused, for all three were hovering. Had Daniella told Azure and Bia what stupid thing he'd said? But his parents weren't looking angry. Looking sideways at his sister, Leo noticed how Daniella's eyes were fixed on her parents, not acknowledging him. Clearly she hadn't said a thing about his comment. "Brilliant timing. We're nearly there - your mother's birth place isn't far!" Leo looked away from Daniella, not wanting to feel the guilt again. In the far distance, over a swathe of trees, Leo saw a tiny half oval. _Sugarloaf mountain._

Rio wasn't far away.


	11. Weird dreams

Bia looked over her shoulder, frowning. What was wrong with Leo and Daniella? Leo at least should have been a ball of energy, now that Rio was tantalizingly close. To be fair, it was now evening; m, the sun beginning to set; were they tired? They'd barely said a word - at least not to each other. For the past fifteen minutes, they'd been quiet, not even so much as glancing at one another. Daniella looked angry and miserable, while Leo had worry and guilt plastered all over his face. _Something's happened. Should I ask?_

"Look. What's wrong?" Azure surprised her. She looked away from the chicks, to see that Azure was looking at them with the same expression Bia had. _It's not just me, then._ Leo and Daniella looked up, but not at each other.

"Nothing." Insisted Leo, after a pause, while Daniella didn't utter a word. Awkwardness was as obvious as the heat of the sun.

"I can tell when someone's lying." Azure said, with narrowed eyes. Bia could tell, too.

"Honestly, it's nothing." Daniella said. There was another dragging pause. "Just a... just a little argument, that's all." Immediately Bia felt concern. Looking at them both, she immediately realized that Leo must have said something he regretted. His eyes were fearful and flooded with remorse - Daniellla was probably the victim, judged by her angry - and upset - expression. What did Leo say?

"A little one?" Azure asked, doubtfully. Leo went to protest again, but Daniella got there first.

"We're fine. Can we just concentrate on flying, please?" She said it swiftly, and Bia knew that they wouldn't get an answer out of either of them. _Stubbornness_ _\- that's new, for Daniella._

"Well, as long as you sort yourselves our before we find our friends." Bia said, sternly. She didn't want their city friends getting the first impression that her kids were miserable and didn't get along, because when they hadn't had a fight, Leo and Daniella were as close as two siblings could be. Leo was especially sweet to her, like all big brothers were.

"We will." Leo said, but the awkwardness didn't fade. Bia looked at her mate, to find that he was already looking at her with round blue eyes. The amber fleck in his left iris was dimmer than usual, a sign that he was worried.

"Hmm." Was all Azure said, and then they left it at that. The silence wore on, and Bia wriggled with discomfort as she flew. _Oh, this feels horrible!_ She looked ahead, and then Bia felt a great swell of relief. This was all looking familiar. They were minutes away from Rio - if they just flew over the next hill, it would come into view. The hill raced toward them, and Bia hoped that the city view could end the tension.

"Kids! We're almost here, look!" Bia exclaimed.

Daniella was brought out of her misery by the thought of seeing Rio for the first time. She forced away her fear. _I can't do that. Apparently it's embarrassing and pathetic._ She shot an angry glance at Leo, remembering the hurtful words. She knew he regretted it, and she'd heard the apology, but she wasn't forgiving him so fast.

They were flying up an enormous slope in the forested land. For ages, it had been forest as far as the eye could see, but now, something new was coming. Bia and Azure glanced back briefly, the moment before they crested the hill, before Azure spoke, with enthusiasm to break the cloud over Leo and Daniella.

"Welcome to Rio de Janeiro!" He exclaimed, cheerfully. Daniella and Leo forgot their rift, for the view was unlike anything they'd ever seen. Leo cried out 'wow', while Daniella was quiet in her awe. They'd passed cities like Manaus and Brasilia, but this was the prettiest one.

The evening sky was going pink. A glowing statue of a human shone on the top of a hill; his arms were stretched out majestically over the city, as if he were offering an embrace. Below him, a city stretched out, with glowing lights speckled throughout, from buildings. Daniella heard loud sounds from the city, of humans, dogs barking, and music. She saw an enormous stretch of sand in the bay, golden in the evening sun - but then she realized that there was a body of water. It was there that she saw the ocean for the first time.

The sea was purple in the evening, reflecting the sinking sun - a rippling gold bar across the rich, rippling purple. It stretched into the horizon - Daniella expected more land cutting it off, but to her surprise, it didn't end. _I had no idea the world was so big! Wait..._ Daniella initially hadn't felt the fear, but then the flashback began. Her skin was cold, and her vision flashed with swirling black. She heard Sophia's scream of terror, the laughter of Camille, Valentina and Ivanna, and the panicked shrieks of her brother, Jessie, Angelo and Feliz. She felt herself being swept along, and the enraged cries of Tiago as he demanded an explanation. Daniella froze, eyes fixed on the purple sea, be for she heard a voice.

"Daniella? Honey? What do you think of it?" Daniella was brought out of her memory by her mother's voice. She jumped, looking up to see her family giving her curious looks. She'd been quiet for some time.

"I..." She tore her gaze away from the ocean, feeling great discomfort. "I think it's great!" Daniella lied, and to her relief, her family believed her, because Bia and Azure exchanged delighted looks.

"Wonderful! I knew you would!" Azure exclaimed. Daniella smiled, but it faded when Azure turned away. Her initial view of the city was tainted by the thought of water. Behind her father, Leo was squealing his excitement.

"That's so cool! Look at the guy!" Leo sqeauled, as they flew nearer and nearer. "I can't wait to..." his voice faded, and his beak stretched in a yawn. The sun was gone now, and night was hurrying in; they'd been flying for hours. Daniella too was tired, her eyes and wings feeling heavy. Her parents looked at each other.

"Maybe we'll have to explore and meet everyone tomorrow," Bia suggested, gently.

"What? I'm okay..." Leo insisted. "I'm... cool." His wings drooped, and his flight faltered, so he sank a few inches.

"I got you, pal." Azure chuckled, swooping under Leo so he dropped down onto his back, and Daniella too felt Bia do the same. She sank into her mother's soft feathers, again catching the earthy scent of midnight flowers, relieved to rest her wings. Unlike Leo - who's eyelids were sliding shut - Daniella was awake enough to watch the view as her parents flew to Rio. Briefly she wondered if they were entering the city already, but then they began a descent downwards, into the trees.

"-we'll find Rafael and company tomorrow..." Bia was saying. "I'd find them now, but they're too tired and frankly I am too... and there's the cottage. Let's find a tree near it."

 _What's a cottage?_ Daniella thought, before she saw a building merge into view. It was small, snug, sitting in a grassy clearing; it had cream walls, with large windows. In the dimness of evening, the lights were on. Daniella blinked in curiosity. "-we'll see them tomorrow, the kids are too tired, Bia..." Daniella was very confused; she was tired, too, so she didn't remember the conversations Blu and Jewel had about their human friends. Looking in the house, Daniella noticed the humans - a male, with darker hair and skin, and a female with red hair and lighter skin. She briefly saw the toddler hanging onto the hem of the red-haired woman's skirt, before she finally felt sleep take over. Daniella fell asleep, too tired to stay awake.

 _Later_

Daniella hadn't dreamt since their departure from the Amazon, so she was surprised to find herself standing on sand. She blinked at her feet; she couldn't see her toes, for they were immersed in the golden beach. A cool, fresh breeze ruffled her feathers, carrying the tang of salt - then she heard a distant voice. She turned her head, seeing a bird further down the beach; for some reason, it was blurry, although she saw green and brown. Suddenly she was reminded that she was on a beach. Water rushed toward her, and Daniella froze with terror.

The tide plucked her up off the sand easily, dragging her away. Daniella sqeauled in horror, sea water rushing into her beak - it was unbearably salty, repulsive, foul. She coughed, crying for help, but her pleas were waterlogged. She could hear a voice, calling her, telling her to get a grip on the sand below and fight the water; a vine drifted at her, but Daniella only tumbled into deeper water, feeling rough sand scratching her eyes, her skin.

She wailed in fear, helpless against the cold current, but then she felt a wing grab her. She was pulled out of the cold, into warm, shallow water that had no brutal pull. It - shockingly - felt pleasant. Daniella saw green and brown once more, and then a pair of strange eyes. They were yellow, with blue flaring out from the pupil, like flower petals.

Suddenly, Daniella woke. She lay there in the dark, confused and bewildered; her skin crawled with the memory of water. She sat up, wings wrapped around herself, utterly confused. _What was all that about? Who was that helping me? Those eyes..._ They had been beautiful eyes - the yellow and blue was so striking. She had seen eyes like that on the daughter of Felipe and Azalea. Their older daughter, Leti, had hazel eyes with green centres, reflecting the eye colours of her parents. Daniella had sometimes been there when her parents spoke to Leti and her two kids, and she remembered the other sister, Adele, and her son Elias from her outing with Orchid and Tiago. But she hadn't recognised the yellow and blue eyes from her dream. _.._

"Daniella?" Whispered a voice. _That's Leo._ In the comfortable dark of the tree, she felt a warm body move alongside her.

"Sorry... weird dream." She replied, shaking her feathers. There was a pause, and next to her, Leo whispered again.

"I'm sorry about earlier. I just wasn't thinking... I don't really think that, and I'm sorry." His voice was honest, genuine, and in the dark, Daniella picked out his face, saw the cloud of guilt. "I really am sorry..."

"I know, Leo. And I'm sorry too, for not giving you a chance." Daniella felt the awkwardness melt away. All was forgiven as Leo whispered a relieved 'Thank you'. "Night, Leo."

Yet as Leo snuggled down between her and Azure, Daniella lay awake, still confused at the events of her dream.


	12. First humans

Daniella peered through the glass, tipping her head to the side. _Humans are so odd,_ she thought, wrinkling her beak. Not just their weird appearance, with no fur or feathers or anything to cover their skin except for hair on their heads and faces, and pieces of material Orchid used in her eye bandanas. They lived in these stone structures, watched a box with pictures on it, and used the most bizarre of 'technology', or whatever Bia called it. It was just so alien to Daniella. She couldn't believe grandpa Blu had been raised by the red-haired woman, who her parents referred to as 'Linda'.

She hadn't directly interacted with Linda or 'Tulio' yet, since there was a glass barrier - and, obviously, they were at work. But she was a little afraid of them. She'd heard a few scary stories about humans, and she had never interacted with one before. The positive stories her parents, Carla, Tiago, Blu and Jewel gave her didn't really reassure her - she'd have to judge for herself.

Daniella watched the smaller human in curiosity. _Was it Emma?_ She thought she'd heard her parents mention 'Emma'. Emma, or whatever her name was, was the toddler of Linda and Tulio. That was another odd thing - humans grew incredibly slowly. Emma was two years old? Daniella's parents had journeyed to Peru and back, found a mystical flower whose origin was not of earth, _and_ defeated a navy-feathered maniac by that age. Emma still wasn't one hundred percent steady walking yet, or talking.

Regardless, Emma was still very cute. With big brown eyes, curly, dark brown hair, and skin a direct combination her parents' different skin tones, she was so sweet. Emma, of course, wasn't traditionally a Portuguese name, for Linda had named her. Daniella was watching her now, running around the 'kitchen'. Emma toddled over to the older male, who was now in his early twenties, grabbing his hand and pulling on his arm. Her adopted brother, Fernando, rolled his eyes in amusement, letting Emma drag him over the door. Daniella jumped back as the door opened a few feet away, hiding behind a flower pot as Emma and Fernando entered the clearing. Emma pulled Fernando toward the forest, but he picked her up off the floor.

"Hey! Remember what mom and dad said?" He reminded her. "You can't go in there, Em." The toddler looked disappointed; her lower lip trembled like all young kids'. Quickly, Fernando found a distraction. "Look! They're pretty flowers!" He carried Emma to a patch of blue flowers growing along the wall, and Emma soon forgot the forest, too occupied with the pretty plants. Daniella watched the two humans. _The little girl's way older than me, mentally younger and yet she wants to explore. Is there something wrong with me? I should be like Leo, all my cousins. I should want to explore..._

"Hey, sis." Leo greeted her, landing on top of the plant pot Daniella hid behind. Daniella jumped, looking up, for he had appeared of nowhere. Leo was perched on the pot rim, dark hazel eyes full of curiosity. A large flower hung over his head, from the plant that grew. An enormous bee was pollinating it, burrowing into the flower centre. Leo edged away slightly, so not to provoke the insect.

"You're in plain sight! Get down..." Daniella casted an anxious look toward Fernando and Emma. She still wasn't too sure about them - they were so much bigger than her, and they looked weird to her.

"Dude, relax - mom and dad said they're friendly. But yeah, we'll wait for them to wake up." Leo was careful with his words this time. He'd only just gotten Daniella's forgiveness. "Mom and dad are still asleep. That's unlike them, dad especially is always up early."

"Maybe they were tired?" Daniella suggested. She then noticed the odd structure on a tall pole, and curiosity rose. _That's good... I do want to explore._ "While we wait, let's check out the bird house. Grandpa Blu and gramma Jewel sometimes sleep in there, on their annual Summer trip, if the weather's bad. Come to think of it, what a storm last night..." They had been awoken in the middle of the night by a howling wind and pelting rain. She wasn't sure if that was before or after her odd dream. Briefly she wondered why Leo hadn't replied, but then she realized that Leo was flying over to the birdhouse already. "Hey! Wait up!"

Flying over Fernando and Emma, the two chicks landed on the birdhouse. Daniella looked up at the old structure, a little unimpressed; she didn't find the idea of sleeping in the metal and wood house appealing. "It's... uh. Different." Daniella said. Over the years, the birdhouse had gone green with rich moss. A few spider webs were here and there, and the birdhouse showed signs of damage from weather. Despite this, it was still sturdy and would hold for several more years.

"It's quite cool. I mean, that must've been Carla's, with the no-entry-style thing." Leo fluttered up to the left compartment, pushing the disc with the red diagonal line aside. "She always likes privacy. Most older siblings do..." he

"I guess the others are mom's and Tiago's, then, and this big one in the middle is Blu and Jewel's." Daniella assumed. Both Leo and Daniella stuck their heads through the gap, expecting to see nothing but old nesting, but then they realized someone was sleeping in it. There was a large, snoring lump on the nest floor, covered in twigs and leaves. In the dark, they couldn't tell what it was.

"Aah!" Leo squeaked, waking up the bird inside. Simultaneously, there was an exclamation of surprise as the bird woke abruptly. He sat up; moss hung from the strangely shaped head, making him look like some sort of monster. Daniella and Leo raced away in fear, diving into the nearest tree. They were terrified to realize that they were being followed, by a creature covered in moss, so they couldn't see what type of bird he was.

"Hey! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you!" The bird exclaimed, sounding guilty and amused. He brushed off the moss, and it was there that his bright orange and black bill was shown; it was only a Toco toucan, not some kind of mossy beast the dark had tricked Leo and Daniella into thinking him to be. Bia and Azure, hearing commotion, emerged from their tree.

"What's going -" Azure began, feathers initially bushed at the sound of Leo and Daniella's cries of fear, but then his eyes brightened, and his feathers immediately went flat. "Rafael! Hey, down here!" Now that the moss from the old birdhouse was gone, it was clear that it was only Rafael. Aside from a tiny chip in his upper bill, from biting a coconut too hard last year, Rafael hadn't changed at all. He twisted round, hearing his name, before spotting his friends before. His eyes widened.

"Hey, young lovebirds!" He exclaimed, in pleasant surprise. Rafael forgot about the kids he had inadvertently scared, heading toward Bia and Azure, who were flying toward him. Leo and Daniella peered out of their hiding spot, in bewilderment, before they both recognized the toucan from videocalls.

"Oh, it's only Rafael!" Leo said, in relief, quickly emerging from the hole in the tree trunk. Daniella was a little slower in coming out of her hiding spot, heart still beating rapidly.

"Rafael, it's great to see you!" Bia said, in delight, hugging him in midair. Azure too hugged Rafael; he had become good friends with Rafael and the others, and obviously Nico and Pedro and taken a shine to him because of his singing voice. They'd persuaded him to sing in the samba club several times, and there was no doubt they'd try it again once they realized they were here. "How did you know we were here?"

"Oh, I didn't. I kinda slept in the birdhouse last night..." Rafael looked around, as if expecting someone to jump out at him; Eva, probably, and then it turned out to be true. "Eva's been tearing up Rio searching for me. I'm avoiding her because the new kids are being difficult and I had to get away..."

"You've had _more?"_ Bia asked, in surprise. "How many kids do you actually have, Rafael?" It had to be at least twenty...

"Ah well, not many... not all one place, anyway. The older ones are spread around the rainforest."

"Why don't you just stop having kids?" Leo suggested, from behind Rafael.

"Well, there's not much fun in that." Rafael gave a nervous laugh when the young couple snorted with laughter. "We do love having our kids, really, it's just when they're a certain age they're really -" he then paused, realizing. He whirled round, eyes wide with joy. "Hey, it's... which one are you again? It's been so long since I saw them on the phone, I get the boys mixed!" Rafael had seen Feliz, Angelo and Banjo too.

"This is our Leo." Azure said, proudly, hovering beside him. "And this is... Daniella?" He glanced about. "Dani? Oh, there she is." Daniella nervously approached, sticking close to Azure's side. Bia's loving look from behind Rafael, however, calmed her. Daniella felt more relaxed.

"Just as beautiful as their parents!" Rafael commented, and Daniella ducked her head shyly, trying to hide her small smile. "Kids, I'm sorry if I scared you, sleeping in there..."

"Oh, it's alright!" Leo exclaimed, happily. "We were just a bit surprised..." in the distance, there was suddenly a terrible sound; almost one of extreme pain. Daniella and Leo flinched, while Bia and Azure knew exactly what it was, not looking fazed or alarmed.

"Someone needs to put that thing out of it's misery..." Daniella muttered.

"Oh, that's just my sweetheart, Eva." Rafael said, and Daniella and Leo stared at each other. "Isn't her singing voice wonderful? My parents always told her it was like honey." Daniella listened, speechless. _Is he serious?_

"Well, you wouldn't want to upset your daughter-in-law." Leo said, innocently; while Bia hushed him, Rafael didn't seem to notice.

"Well, that's her way of bringing me back home. Maybe I should go now, It's been long enough..." Rafael went to go, before turning back. "I'll tell the crew you've arrived! We'll all meet at my tree midday..."

"Your tree?" Bia asked.

"Oh yeah, not the best idea. I'll get a babysitter and we'll meet... uh..."

"Raffie!" Crowed a distant voice, like splintering wood. Eva was looking for him still.

"Well, I'll go face the music. We'll find you!" Rafael said, brightly, before hurrying away. _"Ate logo!"_ Rafael flew into the trees, and was gone. Leo gave Bia and Azure a look of confusion.

"What did that mean?" He asked.

"'See you later' in Portuguese." Daniella said, automatically. She blinked, felt Leo stare at her. "I'm wrong, aren't I?"

"No, that's right!" Azure assured her. He looked at Bia in astonishment, and then Bia's eyes brightened with pride.

"I had no idea you'd picked up the Portuguese, Daniella." Bia said, in surprise. She and Azure had been teaching Leo and Daniella basic Portuguese recently, planning to develop it more during their time in Rio. Leo didn't seem to learn it well, struggling with it. Daniella felt her cheeks go warm at the praise, and she felt a small glow of confidence. _Looks like I can do something right..._

"Birdies!" The high-pitched girl's voice exclaimed, from below. Emma had noticed the four birds hovering, and now she was watching them with big, fascinated eyes. She waved happily, while Fernando blinked, thinking that the adults looked familiar. He, Linda and Tulio were familiar with Azure, since he and Bia had travelled to Rio several times. He then realized that he knew them both.

"Hey, Bia!" He greeted, and Bia and Azure squawked in greeting. Of course they didn't know Azure's name; birds couldn't speak human, and vice versa, no matter how sure Tulio was of the accuracy of his bird talk. The only reason why the humans knew Bia and her siblings' names was from where Blu had written them down. "You're down here again? It's almost as though you come down here on vacation..."

"Oh, we do." Bia commented, knowing Fernando and Emma didn't understand. "Come on, Leo, Dani. Let's say hello." Bia landed on a branch that was level with Fernando, as did Azure. Leo followed, completely sure that these humans were friendly, while Daniella was more cautious, staying close to Azure's side. She watched, nervously, as Fernando came closer, with Emma on his hip. The toddler stared at the four birds, giggling, but not trying to touch them. _Phew,_ thought Daniella. She didn't want to be patted by a human.

"Who's this?" Fernando asked, in a low yet friendly voice, noticing the two chicks. Clearly he knew not to scare them. Leo tipped his head to the side, inquisitively, while Daniella felt slightly more comfortable, edging away from Azure slightly. He reached in his pocket, before raising it slightly, to take a discreet photo without the flash. Bia and Azure shuffled closer, inclining their heads toward Leo and Daniella to make a better quality photo. There was a small 'click', and then Fernando was madly tapping the screen of his phone. "Sending this to Linda and Tulio. Great to see you down here, with two chicks! They're going to be so thrilled..." by now, Emma had wriggled free of Fernando, and was toddling away again. "See you later, Bia." Fernando said, grinning, before running after Emma. Daniella watched them go; her first human encounter.

 _That wasn't so bad._


	13. Old friends

"Come on, Azure! Just _one_ song? Everyone misses you!"

"No, no, no. You're not going to convince me again, Pedro." Azure would be more than happy to perform a song in their samba club, but he liked joking around first. Daniella flew on the warm breeze, feeling it moving through every feather like raindrops. _Raindrops._ For the first time, Daniella didn't shiver at the thought. _It's getting better,_ she thought. Azure's voice stirred her out of thought. "How's Mia, Nico? When will we get to meet the girl we've heard so much about?"

"Soon - she's just a lil' shy." Nico said, twirling his bottlecap on a wing. "She's got her own samba club too; she's just nervous around taller birds. Had a bad experience with a clumsy conure who tripped over her and said a few mean things." Daniella had heard Nico mention Mia many times already. He was utterly besotted with her - apparently she was beautiful, kind, and sweet. Unlike Nico, she was a white canary, which was unusual considering her family were all yellow canaries.

Daniella watched as the three new birds flew along. Nico, the yellow canary, was flying upside down as he tried to persuade Azure to sing. Pedro, the Red-crested cardinal, was doing the same, flying between Rafael and Azure. Leo was boldly taking the lead, flying on the powerful gusts of wind; there were quite a few of them today, even as they flew lower over the city. Bia and Azure kept an eye on him, in case he went sailing off with a very powerful one; Leo and Daniella were still small and light, so a large gust would easily make them lose control. That happened to Nico and Pedro sometimes, as well, but moreso Nico, who was lighter.

Rafael was flying beside them, with Bia and Eva on the other side. Thankfully the Eva wasn't offering her singing voice - somehow that dreadful sound was classified as _singing_ \- for she was too busy commenting to Bia as to how well she had raised Leo and Daniella. The Keel-Billed toucan was fierce and no-nonsense, but once she talked, Eva was friendly and actually quite sweet, reminding Daniella of a less ditzy, less over-the-top Mimi.

"You've raised them so well... they're both adorable! And so well behaved... unlike ours. Or maybe mine would be more behaved if their father didn't run off to visit some samba club every five minutes..." Eva gave Rafael an accusing look, and he gave her an innocent smile.

"Eva, once they grow up I'm sure they'll be great - your other kids turned out brilliantly. How many kids do you have, again? All grown up, too?" Bia's question drew Azure, Nico and Pedro's attention. They stopped talking about singing, looking over to the adult females.

"I don't know... I think it was twenty eight last time I counted." Eva said, casually, as if this was very normal. All conversion halted. Daniella blinked, bewildered at this number. Azure and Bia exchanged shocked looks, Leo spun round to stare at the two toucans. Pedro, who had been drinking water from a tiny cup - a screw-on cap of some kind - spat it out, staring at Eva and Rafael. The water sprayed towards Nico; he used the bottlecap to shield his face, but the rest of it didn't miss him.

"Watch it, Pedro!" Nico protested, shaking his yellow plumage, before replacing the bottlecap on his head. "I already had a shower!"

"Wha's that now? Twenty eight?" Pedro ignored Nico's annoyance. "Raffie, you lied to us..."

"Hey, I never said an exact number." Rafael shrugged.

"Twenty-eight doesn't count as _a few."_ Nico said, the areas over his eyes risen. "But we're here - Luiz's garage!" The purpose of the journey was to meet the bulldog and call home to see how things were getting on. The phone was kept at Luiz's garage after the initial one was stolen from the samba club by pesky marmosets. Leo retreated to the back, with Daniella.

"Why does he have to be a _dog?"_ Leo grumbled. "They're huge, slobbery and... and loud..."

"Are you _afraid?"_ Daniella teased. "That's a first."

"Aren't you?" Leo asked, hopefully, so that he wasn't the only one.

"No. Actually, I'm not." Daniella wasn't afraid of a dog. She'd seen Luiz over the videocall once - from what she remembered he was friendly. Slobbery, maybe, but friendly. Leo was intimidated by the dog's size, over enthusiasm and heftiness; birds were incredibly light, more fragile, in comparison. Maybe when they left the Amazon she was intimidated by the thought of being in the presence of the bulldog, but now, she wasn't. _That's weird. But it's good._

"Luiz? Where you at?" Pedro disappeared into the window above the door, and the others followed. Daniella looked around the street in wonder before going in; it was rather quiet in this part of the city, the street empty. A woman popped in and out of a house further down, carrying flowers and loading them into a small truck, but other than this it was deserted.

They entered the garage. "Luiz? Where are you, buddy?" Rafael was looking at boxes, seeing if the bulldog was behind one.

"Leo, Dani?" The two chicks turned at their mother's voice. Bia hovered beside Azure. "Wait here... Luiz is a bit over enthusiastic - he terrified your grandparents the first time they met him. I don't want him unintentionally scaring or... _flattening_ you."

"Okay, mom." Daniella said. "Good thing too, because Leo's scared."

"No I'm not!" Leo insisted. Azure laughed, and he nuzzled Leo.

But Leo didn't have to worry - Luiz was no where to be found. He wasn't hiding in a car bonnet or behind a tool box - the only sign that he'd been there was a soggy human object called a 'boot' that had been chewed beyond recognition, and a few fresh drops of water on the floor that Daniella assumed was drool. It was dark, full of sharp tools that made Daniella uncomfortable. "We must've just missed him." Rafael said, in disappointment. "He probably went to see Kipo." Eva seemed relieved, and she didn't hide this.

"Oh, _brilhante_. I just washed my feathers earlier." _That's 'brilliant' in Portuguese,_ Daniella thought.

"Evie..." Rafael complained.

"Sorry, Raffie. I'd rather smell of coconut water than... drool." Eva commented back.

"Well... maybe we can -" suddenly, the eerily silent room exploded into noise - a voice boomed throughout the room. Everyone jumped at least a foot - Daniella and Leo dived into their parent's wings with squawks of fear, and there was a small clatter as Nico's bottlecap was knocked off his head by Pedro diving behind him. Eva's feathers bushed, while Rafael hid behind a toolbox, his long beak sticking out.

 _"Set fire to the rain... watch it pour as I touch your face..."_ The panic fell slightly when they realized it was just the phone ringing, but Leo and Daniella didn't let go of their parents.

"Is that Adele?" Bia asked after a moment, gently prying Daniella away from her.

"Adele as in Felipe's daughter?" Leo asked, meekly, thinking of the Scarlet macaw.

"Adele the singer!" Nico said, recovering from the surprise. "Carla and Bruno were down here a few months back - Carla changed the ringtone for fun. She loves that human."

"It's a bit loud..." Daniella said, her heart slowing down a bit. She liked that song - she'd heard it on Carla's iPod. But the ringtone was frighteningly loud in the silent garage.

"What are we waiting for? Where is it? It must be the others!" Azure exclaimed, heading for the sound. The music was coming from a tub on top of a cabinet, where Luiz couldn't reach it; his drooling would likely break the phone. Azure grabbed the phone out of the tub, which was still singing out 'Set Fire to the Rain'. "There's twenty missed calls! Quick!"

"Gather round!" Bia said, excitedly. Azure rested the phone against a brick, and the birds gathered around the screen. The 'videocall' was being requested from 'Amazon crew'; named by Nico and Pedro. Nico hit the green icon, and then there was a pause, and a stalling - the connection was there, but not great. Finally, the screen flooded with colour.

"Finally!" Was the first word. That was Jewel, looking over Blu's shoulder. Blu was holding it up, since he knew how to handle it. Daniella felt a great swell of joy, seeing her maternal grandparents for the first time in weeks.

"Hey mom and dad!" Bia said, excitedly.

"Hey, Blu, Jewel!" The city birds said, simultaneously.

"Rafael, Nico, Pedro and Eva, too? Hey!" Blu looked enthusiastic, happy to see his old friends, his daughter and grandchildren. He asked, eagerly. "How are you guys? How's -"

"-is that them? Let me see!" Suddenly there was voices in the background, and then Blu and Jewel weren't the only family members there.

 _Later_

Daniella's heart was bright. She lay snuggled between her mother and father, with Leo wedged in beside her, looking very comfortable. Daniella couldn't think of anything except the videocall. Her delighted family, so happy to see them - they'd talked for almost an hour, until the dying battery meant that it had to recharge. They'd promised to contact each other again as soon as possible, at around midday or sunset each day. Daniella had seen her entire family, with the exception of Isaac, Margaux, Monica, and Suzy, who were busy on their trip to French Guiana. Carla, Bruno, Jessie, Angelo, and Feliz had been out of the ravine at the time, but Banjo and Angelica had been there. They had grown in the past weeks - they'd gotten a little taller, a bit less fluffy, and since they were of similar age to Tiago and Orchid's three, that brood probably had too. Apparently Daniella and Leo had, although she hadn't really noticed.

Roberto and Sophia were taking part in a singing festival hosted by Sophia's Catalina friend, Victoria; everyone was going along to that. Blu and Jewel had stumbled upon a beautiful site of little waterfalls that nobody had yet found, confirmed by Eduardo. Mimi had cracked the 'best rejuvenating face mask' - apparently it consisted of acai berry and camu camu. Bromeliad and Gabriel were planning their own trip to Venezuela, which Banjo and Angelica were wildly excited about, while Tiago and Orchid were still promising Jessie, Angelo and Feliz a trip to Rio for the new year.

Her family was doing well. They missed them, Bia's classes missed her, but everyone was fine. Nobody had seen much of Carla and Bruno lately - they always seemed to be in secretive conversation, according to everyone else. Bia had desperately asked them to tell the couple, as well as Jessie, Feliz, and Angelo to get in contact; she missed them, and so did Daniella. _I also have to make sure that Jessie still isn't feeling guilty. It wasn't her fault anyway, but regardless, I'm getting better now._

She was certain that things were going to get better from now on. Daniella's fears were melting away very slowly - less things scared her. But there was still the question of her water tolerance. Tomorrow, Bia and Azure had decided to do something about it, and Daniella was afraid as to how they would tackle it.


	14. Sounds of distress

Daniella stirred, hearing a buzzing sound. She looked around sleepily. In the adjacent tree, she could see the bright bills of Eva and Rafael in their hollow, with smaller ones indicating the toucan chicks; this brood consisted of four. Nico and Pedro were sleeping on a ledge; Nico's bottlecap had slipped down over his eyes, and he was using Pedro's stomach as a pillow. Pedro snored away, occasionally shifting in sleep.

It was very early, the sun not even up. Bia and Azure were snuggling on her left, with Leo sleeping at their feet. Daniella had been sleeping next to him initially - she did tend to move a lot when she slept. Daniella felt her eyes slipping shut, but then she heard the buzzing sound again. Blinking, Daniella realized that the buzzing came from the phone, which was a few feet away. They'd decided to bring it along, just in case they got another call. Why was it buzzing?

Shifting carefully out of the nest so not to wake her family, Daniella silently went to the phone, switching it on. The screen lit up, showing the words: _Five_ _new texts._ What was a text? Curious, Daniella hit 'open'. Five messages showed.

 _Hey, it's Jessamyn._ _Can I talk to Daniella please, on the thing where we can see each other? Love you all!_

 _Sorry, just her, in private._

 _Don't take it the wrong way, I really want to talk to the rest of you too but I just want to talk to Daniella about something._

 _Hello? Please respond._

 _I hate this thing... hello?_

Daniella looked at her family, wondering over whether to call Jess. She certainly wanted to see her, since her cousin hadn't been there during the call earlier. Daniella exited the hollow, flying further up the tree with difficulty due to the heavy phone. She found a suitable branch, propping the phone against the tree trunk. Frustrated, she tried to remember how to use the videocall. She finally figured it out after a few attempts, and she sat there, waiting anxiously for Jess to answer. She waited for several moments - at first the call dragged on, and she was about to hit 'end videocall' - but then, Jessamyn was facing her, half the world away.

Jessie looked different. _I haven't seen her for a few weeks... she's changed._ Chicks grew fast. Jessie's spiky head feathers seemed longer, her feathers slightly less downy. Yet her face was still the same, with plump cheeks, and twinkling, light brown eyes that were lit up with joy at the sight of Daniella. "Hi, Dani!" Jessie's voice was initially high with excitement, before it hushed a bit. "My bad. We'll have to whisper - mom and dad are asleep, so are Feliz and Angelo." Jessie angled the phone slightly, so Daniella could glimpse them. "They say hi in their sleep..."

As usual with Tiago and Orchid, the hollow was unorganized and messy, with flower petals all over the floor from the heavy yellow flowers that grew on the tree. The nest was thick and blue from feathers, and Tiago and Orchid were snuggled in it; Daniella spotted Angelo curled up on the moss, Orchid's wing draped over him, while Feliz was burrowed deep in the feathers, between Orchid and Tiago. Tiago's beak rested on Orchid's forehead as they slept; Orchid didn't wear her bandana when she slept to let the feathers breathe, so the eyeless socket was on show. Daniella didn't flinch - all the chicks in the family had been shown Orchid without her bandana very young, so that they wouldn't be insensitive and react with horror in later life should they see. Above the nest, Orchid's bandanas were hanging on a branch.

"I miss you all." Daniella admitted, longing to be there in the hollow. Her heart felt heavy, suddenly.

"You sound sad." Jessie said, in concern.

"I'm not. I... I just miss home." Daniella ran her wingtips through the black head feathers, which had grown slightly longer since leaving for Rio. She realized that the conversation sounded too sombre, and she shook her head. "Anyway, it's so great to see you, Jess."

"It's great to see you too! We all miss you - my brothers and Banjo and Angelica do, and before they went to French Guiana, Monica and Suzy were complaining about missing you and Leo. Our grandmamas and grandpapas especially miss you." Daniella and Jessamyn shared the same grandparents on both sides - Blu and Jewel, and Roberto and Sophia. Since Bia was with Azure and Tiago with Azure's sister Orchid, this made Daniella and Jessamyn 'double cousins'. It made them feel closer - they were more closely related this way. Maybe this was why Daniella and Leo thought more of Jessie, Feliz and Angelo as siblings rather than cousins. "How is it? Is it pretty? Fun?"

"It is beautiful here. I'm sure you'll love it, when you guys come down here in the new year." Daniella paused. This was her chance. "Jess, I... I want to tell you that I'm getting better."

"What do you mean?"

"This trip... it's actually paid off. I'm less scared of things. I'm less useless, less... weak. Water still scares me, but now I can tolerate drops. I'm not sure about rain yet, but tomorrow -" _today, actually. It's nearly dawn._ "-mom and dad are going to help me get over it somehow. I'm not exactly sure how, but... they will." Daniella saw the look of relief on Jessie's face.

"That's great to hear, Dani. I'm thrilled for you." Jessie's look of guilt had melted away, at last. Ever since the river incident, Jessie had looked at her with guilt plastered all over her face, but now, it was gone. "That's such a relief." Daniella saw sun pour across the hollow wall behind Jessie, and she herself felt it's warmth on her cheek as the sun rose in Rio. It wouldn't be much longer until her family woke, and then she heard giggling. _Uh-oh._

"Shoot, I have to go. Eva and Rafael's kids are awake."

"I don't understand. Is that bad?" Jessie asked.

"It's bad when you have a phone." Daniella replied. This brood was more marmoset or magpie than toucan - they loved stealing things, especially shiny human objects. "I gotta go. Love you, Jess."

"See you soon, cousin." Jessie grinned, waving with her periwinkle-tinted wing; a trait she had inherited from Orchid and Sophia. "Bye bye, love you!" Then the screen went black as Jessie broke the connection. Daniella watched it go black, longing to see Jessie once more. _Oh, Jess. I wish you were here..._

 _Later_

Daniella ate an acai berry, enjoying the sweet taste. Acai berries had to be her favourite; she had to eat as many as she could before Rafael and Eva's rambunctious kids got their talons on them. The four baby toucans they had at the moment were younger than Daniella, but they were very energetic for the bird equivalent of toddlers - they zipped about, flying circles around their stressed mother and father. It turned out that Eva's estimate of twenty-eight kids wasn't including the current brood - therefore, Rafael and Eva were proud - albeit exhausted - parents of thirty-two.

Right now, Rafael and Eva were trying to keep hold of the four little toucans, chasing them through the clearing. The baby birds, like their grown up siblings once had, were causing havoc. Bia and Azure had offered to help round them up, but Rafael had insisted that they were on vacation, and that he and Eva could handle it. Daniella watched the two toucans disappear into the trees, chasing their chicks.

"Pietro! Wanda! Get back here!" Eva snapped, chasing her half. She was chasing the near-identical Pietro and Wanda, while Rafael was after the other two boys.

"I gotta watch this!" Pedro exclaimed, jumping up. "C'mon, Nico! We'll miss the show!" The cardinal and the canary vanished after Rafael and Eva, leaving the Spix's family alone.

"...maybe we should do it tomorrow." Daniella tilted her head toward the sound of Bia's voice. Her parents were whispering, but she had sharp hearing. She heard the most minute of sounds - Leo sometimes joked that she was an owl, rather than a macaw. She focused on the conversation. "She seems so happy today. I don't want to ruin her mood by making her jump in a puddle, or something. And if she's upset, I'll feel so guilty... I can't stand the thought..."

"Hey! Don't upset yourself, Beatriz. If you want to do it tomorrow, we'll do it tomorrow. We still have plenty of time until we go home." Azure said, soothingly. Daniella secretly felt relief; she didn't want to go near the water today. She was in high spirits since talking to Jessie, and the prospect of seeing her family again later over the phone made her feel even better. "We'll figure something out, don't worry. Daniella's improved lately, she'll be fine whatever we do." Daniella listened, touched that Azure had such complete faith in her. "But maybe we should give them both our gifts now." Daniella blinked in puzzlement, but then her name was called.

"Daniella! Leo!" Bia called. She looked over her shoulder, and so did Leo, from where he was sitting a few feet away. They glanced at each other, before heading for their parents.

"What is it, mom and dad?" Leo asked, swallowing the remainder of an acai berry.

"Your father and I went into the city earlier." Bia began; there was a small pouch lying at her feet. Azure picked it up, and pulled the ribbon fastener.

"We borrowed these from a market stall. Ha, borrowed." Azure laughed nervously. "Okay, so we stole them. We don't have any money, after all..."

"What's money?" Daniella asked.

"It's what humans trade in exchange for things like food and the clothes they wear. It's a bit pointless, really." Bia said, rolling her hazel eyes in bemusement. "Anyway, when I was younger, my parents got me, Carla and Tiago something like this. It really helped me feel closer to my family, when I wasn't with them. You've probably seen me wear my moonstone necklace."

"That pretty one with the white and blue stone?" Daniella asked, curiously, recalling seeing her mother wearing it.

"That's the one, Dani. Your mom and I brought you both a little something, so you can always keep a little bit of your family with you." Azure then opened the pouch, producing a golden stone, with dark and lighter gold stripes, on a black string. "Tiger's eye for you, Leo. This is said to boost will-power, wisdom, and bring good luck."

"Wow, awesome!" Leo exclaimed, happily. He bounced up, and Azure fastened it around Leo's neck, tying it securely. Leo hugged Azure and Bia, before hopping away, examining the tiger's eye. Daniella felt a thrill of excitement as Bia pulled out another one; the slender thread was also black, but the stone was mostly a rich purple, darker than her lavender eyes. It was darker and lighter in different parts, and she could see through it in places. It was a tear drop shape, smooth and glossy. Immediately, she felt a draw to the beautiful gemstone.

"Daniella, this is amethyst. It's said to bring protection, clarity, and inner strength." Bia helped secure the necklace around Daniella's neck, and she examined it, running her wingtip over the surface. _Protection, clarity, and inner strength... I need to remember that._ Daniella suddenly felt very special.

"I love it... thank you, mom, dad!" Daniella looked up at Bia and Azure, before hugging them both. She frowned, and hugged them tighter. _Don't know why I just frowned..._ she shook it off, realizing that she had a strange feeling. Like a knot, in her stomach. _It's probably nothing._

"You're welcome, sweetie." Azure kissed her on the forehead. "We're going deeper into the city later. We're going to show you both our favourite places, and we're also going to meet Luiz and Nico's special friend Mia in person."

"I can't wait!" Leo said, excitedly. "Well... maybe I'll hang back a bit when we meet Luiz." Daniella giggled, remembering how Leo was scared of dogs.

"Well, let's go find Rafael and the others." Bia said, brightly, as they set off after Rafael, Eva, Nico and Pedro. "Let's see if they've caught up to those four little ones. Az, what were their names again?" Bia affectionately referred to Azure as 'Az'. Daniella looked down at the piece of amethyst as she flew at the back, admiring the vibrant purple colour. Ahead, Leo was bombarding Bia and Azure with questions about the city. Daniella considered asking one herself, but then she paused. Initially she shook it off, but then she heard it again. Was that a voice?

Daniella turned her head toward the sound, listening. _"This is isn't funny anymore, Emma! Where are you?"_ Daniella looked back at her family, who had paused underneath a large flower, for Leo had asked about it.

"-it's a bromeliad, Leo - like my sister..." Azure began to explain. "Actually, Bia, care to join in? You know so much more about flowers than me!" Bia and Azure were focused on the flower and Leo. Daniella continued to listen to the voice through the trees. She was the only one who could hear the distant cry. It was distressed, full of fear. Should she say something? _They're busy talking... they're still here. I'll just go see what's going on, and I'll be right back..._ Daniella looked at her brother and parents once more. _I won't be long._ Without thinking _,_ Daniella turned and headed to the sound of distress, curiosity pulling her away from those she loved.


	15. Gone

Daniella landed on a branch, looking down at the scene. On the forest floor below, two humans were shouting into the trees, looking frantic. She realized with a start that she knew them - Linda and Tulio, the parents of the toddler, Emma, and adoptive parents of Fernando. She briefly wondered where the two younger humans were, before the couple answered her question through arguing.

"-Fernando's on his way from work. I don't understand! How did she get out?" Tulio was stumbling about in frenzied worry. His glasses fell off his face, and he had to fumble on the floor to find them. While he was searching roots and leaves, unable to see, Linda ran around, desperately calling for Emma.

"I told you to get someone in to fix that door, Tulio!" Linda fretted, spinning around and glaring accusingly at her husband. "I just told her, 'Emma, just stand there for a moment'. I opened the refrigerator, turned around, and then the door was open and she was gone! The door won't shut, I thought you put that flowerpot there?"

"I only put it aside to check on the nest of Yellow conures!" Tulio said, meekly, recovering his glasses off the floor. "I thought I replaced it..."

"Well, clearly you didn't!" Linda snapped. "Our baby girl is out in a jungle all by herself! Anything could happen to her! Emma!" Linda ran into some bushes, and Tulio staggered after her. Daniella blinked in concern. _Emma._ Suddenly she remembered the cute little girl she'd met the other day, and her heart sank as she remembered how vulnerable a little human could be, in the rainforest. _It's dangerous out here - she shouldn't be out here alone..._ What could she do? _I'm going to go tell mom and dad. They'll figure something out._ Daniella turned, and flew swiftly back the way she came.

She had barely flown for twenty seconds when her ears picked something up. Turning her head sharply, Daniella searched for it's source. She saw movement below; the enormous ferns were shuddering, for something was passing through. The tell-tale giggling and flash of brown hair gave it away before Emma came into full view. Emma's hair was in two little bunches, and she wore a bright blue dress with matching shoes. She was chasing a butterfly, stumbling on her chubby toddler legs.

Daniella felt relief wash over her as she flew closer for a better look. Emma was absolutely fine - the little girl was unhurt, her dainty shoes just a little muddy. Emma toddled along, still pursuing the butterfly, without a care in the world, the happiness on her face clear, her brown eyes sparkling. Daniella could see that the girl was enjoying her freedom, but she could hear Linda and Tulio's frantic calls through the trees. Emma had to get back to her parents before she got lost, or hurt herself.

How was Daniella going to get Emma back to Linda and Tulio? She knew the couple had a love for Spix's macaws, but they wouldn't follow her instead of looking for their lost child - leading them to Emma wasn't going to work. _I should go find mom and dad, but if I leave her alone, I might lose her. Maybe I could lead Emma to Linda and Tulio instead... how, though?_ Daniella watched Emma, trying to think of how she could bring her back to her frantic parents.

Emma certainly loved bright colours, because the butterfly was the brightest Daniella had seen. Daniella's bright blue feathers would surely attract the toddler's attention, and she remembered how much Emma loved birds from their meeting the other day. Maybe if Daniella made the little girl follow her, she could guide Emma to Linda and Tulio. Daniella didn't see any other option.

Daniella flew down to Emma's height, several feet in front of her. She chirped softly to get Emma's attention. The butterfly was forgotten as Emma saw the bright blue bird hovering before her eyes. The girl paused, staring at the creature she recognised from the other day. Daniella flew closer, flying around Emma's head. Emma spun with her, stumbling, desperate to keep her gaze on the bird. Daniella continued to chirp at Emma, ensuring that she wouldn't grow bored and wander away - but Emma was following her every move, not moving. But her eyes were glued on Daniella.

Daniella advanced towards the human, before retreating, flying several feet away. She did it again when Emma still didn't move. The third time, however, Emma's feet finally took a few steps. Then Emma was waddling after Daniella, giggling with delight, hands reaching out. Daniella kept out of reach, continuing to guide Emma, not once taking her gaze from the toddler, who was following still. Daniella guided Emma through smooth parts of the forest floor, where no roots or rocks threatened to trip her. She steered Emma clear of thorns that threatened to tear at the little girl's delicate skin, and she kept close to the sunlight. Daniella then noticed a stream up ahead, and her heart sank. _I can hear Linda and Tulio!_ They were so close - they were screened from her view from a leafy bush. _Why does water have to always ruin something?_

This was the first time she'd faced a moving body of water since their arrival in Rio. Daniella froze, seeing the stream, trying to ignore the flashbacks rolling through her mind. She heard laughing, heard the rushing of water. This was different - less dark and sinister, but she still couldn't go near it. How on earth had she ever thought she was conquering her fear? How could she get Emma across? There wasn't even a log crossing the stream, and Emma was right behind her.

Daniella didn't see it coming. She saw a rock kicked by Emma's little shoe, just a small one. It bounced underneath Daniella - but then it landed on something hidden beneath the leaves. Daniella suddenly realized that the leaves seemed different - they made a large pile that was almost too perfect. Then the leaves bursted to life. They swarmed up toward Daniella, but when she flew upwards, the leaves immersed her. Daniella was swung upwards, high above. She writhed in the leaves, bewildered and confused, realizing that she was enclosed in some sort of mesh. She was initially too shocked and confused to cry for help.

Down below, Emma heard a rushing sound. She turned toward the sound, realizing that the little blue bird had vanished. Emma looked around in surprise and confusion, straining her neck to try and see where the bird had gone, but then she lost concentration. She slipped in some mud. Emma skidded briefly, before she hit the ground hard. Luckily it was soft, so she was mostly unharmed, but it still hurt. Immediately, Emma bursted into tears, wailing in distress. Her cries were ear-shattering.

Over the stream, Linda and Tulio stopped arguing. They heard the crying, and instantly knew that it belonged to their little girl. Then they were shouting, and there was crashing as their feet pounded through the undergrowth. In seconds, they were on the other side of the stream, seeing Emma on the floor, bawling. "Emma!" They exclaimed, simultaneously. Linda and Tulio leapt across the stream, which was thin to them, and they knelt on either side of Emma.

"Oh, thank goodness!" Linda exclaimed, in relief. Emma looked up at her mother with a tear-stained face, before reaching up, to show that she wanted a hug. Linda immediately scooped Emma up, cradling the girl in her arms as Tulio checked to see if she was hurt.

" _Graças a deus_ , she's not hurt. Just a bit muddy." Tulio was examining Emma, searching for scratches or blood. "We need to get her home. We'll ring to tell everyone to stop searching."

"Yes, we will. Come on, honey, let's take you back and wash this mud off." Linda was helped to her feet by Tulio, and they began to head back to their cottage, through the trees. Emma's wails had subdued, and now she was clinging to Linda. Tulio and Linda walked close together, Tulio's arm around both his wife and his daughter. But they'd missed something. Hanging far above the spot the two humans had found Emma, Daniella was entangled in mesh.

She fought against her net prison, which was thick with gaps too small for her to fit through. She writhed in the netting, confused and terrified. "What is this?" She asked herself, feeling around the net. She was trapped - of course she was. This was a trap of some kind, placed strategically by the stream so that it could capture an animal coming to the water to drink. That word repeated. _Capture._ Daniella had been caught in a trap that she'd been warned so many times about, especially by her great-grandfather, Eduardo, and by Roberto and Jewel. All three had once been caught before. Jewel's trapping had led to her eventually meeting Blu, but she had told Daniella the dangers of being trapped.

Eduardo had been lucky. He'd been caught in a trap when he was much younger, decades ago, but Tia had freed him before the humans had come to find what they'd caught. Tia was her great-grandmother who had died in a fire, so Daniella had never known her. Roberto's story had been less fortunate one. He had been very young, not even flying age, when his family had perished in a logging incident. He'd been fleeing when he'd been caught in a trap, too - but he'd been found, and subjected to weeks of cruelty in captivity until he'd gotten away. This story was only known by those who he loved most - no one else knew his tragic upbringing. Daniella felt panic manifest. If she stayed here... what would happen to her?

Daniella had to call for help. "Mom! Dad! Leo!" She cried, at the top of her voice. She tore and bit at the netting, but it didn't break. "Help me!" But she was too far away from where her family was. They didn't hear her shrieks. "Someone, anyone! I'm here!" The surrounding trees too were empty - almost nobody heard her pleas. But someone did. Suddenly Daniella was hurtling through space, crashing toward the ground. She landed awkwardly, on her right wing. She cried out in pain, twisting her head to look at it, little heart thudding with fear - it wasn't broken. She didn't think so, at least, but it still hurt. Then she heard voices, and saw two figures looming over her. They spoke in Portuguese, and she translated it into English in her mind.

 _"I don't know what it is."_ Muttered one. He was short and fat, balding with dark skin and dark glasses.

 _"We weren't after a bird. We were after something better."_ Remarked the tall and lean one, with disappointment - clearly they had no idea what species she was. _"But I guess it'll be worth something. Someone'll want a pretty blue bird. Let's go before someone spots us - it took me ages to set traps without being seen. The boat leaves at six."_ Then Daniella was dropped into something hard, and she was encased in darkness. She fought the netting, trying to be free, crying for her family all the while.

"Mom! Dad! Leo! Help me!" But no one responded. Daniella was helpless as the box she had been thrown in was shoved into the back of a truck.

Meanwhile, Bia and Azure paused from where they were talking about the bromeliad Leo had asked about. "Finally!" Azure exclaimed, in amusement, as an exhausted Rafael and Eva emerged from the trees, their four kids held in each foot. The four toucan chicks giggled in mischief as Nico and Pedro followed, laughing amongst themselves.

"Well, we would've gotten them faster if someone had bothered to help." Eva said, glaring at Nico and Pedro, who whistled innocently.

"What's important is that we got them in the end." Rafael said, soothingly. "Wanda, Pietro, Pablo, Diego? Apologize to your -"

"Wait a sec." Nico said. He looked at the toucans, Pedro, at Bia, Azure, and Leo. Then he looked around. "Where's the little girl?"

"Daniella? What are you talking about? She's right -" But then Azure stopped talking abruptly. "Bia." He said, slowly. Bia turned, expecting to see her daughter there, behind them. But she wasn't. Suddenly Bia's throat felt dry, and her heart dropped into her stomach. She stared at the spot where Daniella had been, before Leo broke the silence.

"Daniella?"


	16. A light

Daniella twitched slightly on the floor, moving for the first time in a few hours. She muttered, twitching more, until her head lifted slightly. She had a vague recollection of a huge jarring - the vehicle had abruptly stopped a few minutes following her capture. She remembered being sent flying, and her head coming into contact with a hard wall - and everything after that point was dark. Slowly, she tried to rise, using her right wing to support herself, but pain shot through it when she put weight on it.

"Ow!" She exclaimed, aloud, crumpling back down when her wing gave out. Daniella lay on her side, clutching the wing she'd landed awkwardly on a few hours earlier. She tried to look at it, but it was too dark to see. It still hurt - what was wrong with it? It wasn't broken, but something was wrong. Struggling, using the wall to drag herself up, Daniella managed to get into a sitting position, clutching onto her right wing. Her head was a mess - it was as if a fog had formed in her brain.

Daniella struggled to remember what happened. She recalled seeing Emma being carried away by Linda and Tulio - at least she was safe. Then Daniella remembered the netting, which was still entangling her. She struggled to free herself, still delirious and confused. Daniella pulled the netting from her face, away from herself, but it still pulled at her neck. Enraged, Daniella tore at it, desperate to be rid of it. She then realized that it was simply caught around the amethyst on her necklace. Daniella slowed down, gently extracting the purple gemstone from the black netting. She had a brief moment of calm when she touched the stone's cool surface, but then an unseen force threw Daniella against the wall. She gasped, before realizing that the floor was unsteady. She swayed and slid along the box floor; what was going on? Where was she?

Daniella heard crashing - of box against box, of thunder outside, and a constant hammering of rain and a colossal crashing she couldn't pinpoint. Animals howled in their boxes, crying out with fear at both their capture and at the swaying of the floor. She heard sqauwks, hisses, the scratching of claws on wood. Underneath the noise, sometimes she heard shouting that could be human, but then it would be drowned out by some other noise. The panic hit her like a stone being thrown at her head.

 _Where am I?_ Suddenly Daniella's heart was racing. Her blood roared above the crashing, the wails of distressed animals. Her breathing rattled in her chest, but the terror was the worst thing of all. _I'm alone!_ Alone in the terrifying darkness. Where was her family? Her mother, father, brother? The dark closed in around her, brutal, crushing like a jaguar's jaws. It mocked her; she saw all sorts of shapes in the blackness, and claustrophobia set in. She had to get out, _now._

Daniella saw a glimpse of light at the top of the wooden box, and she rushed to it. She swayed as the ground shook, and she had to sink her claws into the wood to stay where she was. Daniella pulled herself up the wall, beak fastened on the gap edge. She desperately tried to see outside, but it was so dark - there was only an occasional flash of lightning from a sheet of glass in the wall. The flash also came from a door - the gap between the top of the frame and the top of door was large. Water trickled down the walls, but Daniella didn't think about that, too focused on the fact that she could fit through the gap if she got out of the crate.

She began gnawing at the hole in the box, frantic to escape. She continued for some time, but then her beak began to hurt, with little result. The gap edge was barely any wider - tiny gnaw marks. It would take her forever to chew her way out. _I can't stay here, though! There has to be a way!_ Daniella then saw a large lump on the wall. Lying in a bed, a human snored through the storm, and the violent swaying. She stared, wondering how on earth he was still asleep. _That's changing right now!_ Daniella didn't care what other animals thought of her. She went mad.

Daniella opened her beak, and screeched at the top of her lungs. She screamed louder than she ever had in her life, louder than when she had been shoved into that stream. The ear-splitting noise made all the animals around her flinch and stop their own wailing; her shrieks rose above the storm, waking the sleeping human. He muttered, but still didn't get up - he groaned, pulling the covers over his head. Daniella tried harder. Her throat felt raw, but she continued to screech. This time, she threw herself, hard, against the wall, over and over. The human heard the repetitive thud, and finally, he threw the covers off him.

Staggering from the swaying of the floor and sleep, he stumbled up to the box. He yelled, telling her to shut up. Daniella didn't stop - she still screeched, thudded against the wall. She looked through the gap, saw him coming closer. Daniella continued her racket, and the human got more and more vexed. He was shouting still, more enraged by the second; then, Daniella heard a clicking sound, for he had unattached the cord lashing her crate down. He shook the crate in anger.

 _"Enough!"_ he snarled. Daniella suddenly remembered a story Jewel had told her. _Play dead._ She stopped her shrieks abruptly, and crumpled, hard, to the floor with a loud thud. She landed on her hurting wing, but clenched her beak shut, forcing down her cry of pain. She lay there, still and silent, not daring to breathe. The human paused. He muttered something, and she heard a tapping on the crate wall, and he shook it a little - clearly he expected a reaction. But Daniella didn't move, nor did she utter a sound.

The human was cursing to himself in Portuguese. She understood, heart in her throat. _"God... what did I do?"_ Then she heard a scratching on the box lid. Daniella resisted the urge to move, knowing this was her only chance of freedom. She stiffened, looking through her eyelashes as the lid was pried off. The human stared down at her, in shock and guilt. He was whispering to himself in horror, muttering about how young she was. Then he turned away his gaze, shouted to somebody. That was it. His focus on her was broken - Daniella bursted to life.

The adrenaline coursed through her veins, making her ignore the pain in her wing. Daniella shot out of the crate, screeching in frenzy as she looked for an escape. On her way, she clawed the human's face, right above his eye - he yelled in shock, covering it and shouting. " _Rico! Rico!"_ he screeched, three tiny claw marks oozing blood. _"It's gone loco!"_ Daniella heard pounding footsteps. She had little time left. Then she saw it: the large gap between the wooden door and door frame. Daniella dodged the flailing arms, the lunging human, flying for the door. She forced herself through the gap, and then she was flying in the open air, straight upwards. In her desperation to get away, Daniella didn't notice the roaring, crashing waves. She didn't see the ocean beneath, the flimsy boat used for the smuggling.

Daniella suddenly felt the wind tearing at her wings. The air shook wiith thunder, and lightning blinded her eyes. The rain pounded down, hammering onto her skin. _Water._ The rain felt like poison. Just as she thought the rain was bad enough, Daniella saw a great shape looming. She initially squinted, unable to see, but then lightning rippled across the sky. Her eyes widened as she realized a great wall of seawater was about to crash down upon her - it towered like a tree, black and looming. Daniella cried out in pure terror, throwing up her wings to shield herself, but then, by some miracle, there was an enormous gust of wind. Then Daniella was being torn upwards, away from the crashing waves, the violent ocean.

She screamed, but the howling wind drowned her voice out. She wailed for Bia, Azure, Leo, but knew that it was useless. The rain hit her from all angles, and the reek of salt choked her. Daniella was sure her wings were about to be ripped off; the pain in her right wing was immense. What was wrong with it? The wind was making it worse. Her injured wing was being thrown back and forth, slapping at the open air and then being whipped back against her. The wind was the only thing keeping her in the air. The wind carried her, and Daniella tumbled, losing control, her black head feathers soaked and in her eyes. The rainwater continued to hit her, like cold claws - she was blinded by water and her head feathers.

Daniella didn't know how far she had been thrown across the sea, for rain and cloud blocked her view of below. It was also as though the weather was inside her mind, tearing every calm thought apart - the panic and fear had complete control. She felt faint, and now she felt the pain creeping back into her wing. Daniella suddenly realized she had no control over her body. The wind was too strong, and if she could fly, it was too painful to. Her wings weren't flapping any more.

Suddenly, the wind subdued. But then Daniella wasn't being thrown through the air. She was falling through space, hurtling toward the earth just like a comet - she didn't have any control. Her wings flapped uselessly - the pain and exhaustion was too much. She tumbled through the clouds, not slowing down, expecting to see that stretch of terrifying ocean. Instead, when the clouds cleared, trees rushed towards her. Daniella was initially too shocked to move, but then reality crashed down. _Fly!_ She tried to move her wings, but they wouldn't obey. She couldn't stop herself from crashing through the canopy.

Branches whipped her face, unforgiving and cruel. She cried out, shielding her head as she tumbled through the trees; they tore at her, slashing wherever they reached. Had it broken the skin? But scratches weren't her top priority. The ground was. Just as Daniella thought she was about to plunge to her death, something seized her from midair, briefly halting her descent before she slipped down. The vines criss-crossed in many layers, wild and overgrown. Daniella jolted to life, desperately clawing to get a grip on the sodden vines. Her grip failed initially, but then she landed in a mat of creepers, and she stopped falling. Daniella had been caught by some miracle.

Daniella lay there on her back, stunned. She was eerily still, eyes fixated on the glimpse of sky through the tree canopy. Slowly, she tried to move - she lifted her body a fraction, but the pain in her right wing, and the spreading ache and exhaustion throughout her body, stopped her. She flopped back, onto her side. She curled up, like a possum, hunched in the vines. Briefly, Daniella wondered where her family was, but then her eyes felt heavy. It was a gentle tugging at first, but then it crashed down like a wave. Daniella's head fell back as she passed out, rain pattering gently through the leaves above, dripping onto her face. Water trickled from the corner of her eyes, but it wasn't clear as to whether it was rain or tears.

For a few moments, the forest was still, with Daniella laying there in the vines - she looked so small, and her chest barely rose and fell. But then, in the darkness, there was a small light. It carved through the air, travelling up to the mat of creepers, quiet. The vines swayed ever so slightly when something small landed gently at the edge of them; light and warmth casted over Daniella, chasing away the shadow.

A bizarre creature, draped in green - wide leaves, covering it like a cloak. At first it appeared as though it were some sort of living bush, but the leaves were solely to keep her dry in the appalling weather. The leaf-cloaked creature lifted the leaves that covered her head, revealing a soft green and brown face, and a pair of yellow eyes, with blue around the pupil. She held the flame under her wing to protect it from the rain, to shed light on what she had seen fall. The young Chestnut-Fronted macaw couldn't have been much older than Daniella - she placed her wing tips on Daniella's neck, searching for a pulse. She looked around in wonder and bewilderment, before looking back at the blue bird who had fallen from the sky.


	17. Strange

Sunshine filtered in, trickling across the sandy floor like honey. It streamed, thick and golden, lighting up the inside of the tree. It travelled across a dip in the floor, which was full of burnt cinders and soot; the fire had gone out not long ago, since nobody had been there to tend to it for a while. The light touched the top of a few black feathers that peeped out of a large, thin piece of shaggy moss. There was then a subtle movement, a tiny sound from the feathers. Then, as Daniella stretched, the moss slipped off her face.

Daniella frowned, not recognizing the ceiling. Suddenly the events of last night came rushing back. _At least I'm on land..._ she felt cold at the memory of the rolling ocean, but Daniella put it at the back of her mind. _S_ he rolled to the right, as she always did when she woke, only to crash to the ground. "What the -" Daniella sat up painfully. She blinked, surprised; she had been lying in a hammock made of woven green leaves. The hammock was suspended between two walls, tied to tree roots. She blinked. _Hammocks? Whoever sleeps in a hammock?_

The Blue-and-Golds used hammocks too, but they rarely slept in them. Their hammocks were woven with vines, but Blue-and-Golds mostly used them to carry injured birds, food and nest material. They also used them to swing young chicks and relax in, but rarely to sleep in. Daniella shook her head, taking a step back, but then she tumbled backwards, into a dip in the floor. She blinked again, shaking her foot to get rid of the soot. Had something been burning in the floor?

Most tribe feared fire - it had killed her maternal great-grandmother Tia and separated Jewel from her family for most of her life. Another had almost killed Daniella's mother and father. Fire was despised by most, and Daniella was taught to avoid it. Confused, she clambered out, shaking the black from her plumage. This was so strange. _Where on earth am I? How did I get here?_ She tried to remember, but her mind was a blank slate apart from a vague recollection of green and brown feathers. Daniella paused. _Green and brown feathers..._ had someone brought her here? She definitely didn't remember coming here. _What's the last thing I remember?_ Daniella's last memory was of a figure leaning over her.

It was then that Daniella heard voices approaching. She jumped, whirling round - it was coming from a slate of rock, the entrance. Too scared to stay, Daniella saw the sunlight streaming in from a gap in the ceiling. She dived for it, thrusting her shoulders through - when her wing hit the side, it wasn't as painful as she remembered. She just managed to wriggle out and dive into the bushes when the slate was pushed aside.

The owner of the hollow came in. The little Chestnut-Fronted macaw, the one who had found Daniella in the vines, and carried her here. She lead three adult birds, who walked with a certain laziness. Their eyes were dull with disinterest, of not wanting to be there. "I'm telling you. I was out late last night... and suddenly something fell out of the sky. She can tell you herself."

"What species is she?" That was the first question. It came from a Pink-Headed duck - not usually found on islands, let alone on this side of the world.

"I... I don't know." Emori replied, uncomfortably. "She's a macaw, I think. Light blue... does it really matter?" The Pink-Headed duck, and a Blue-Billed Currasow who followed, gave her an icy look that said 'Of course it matters'. Emori met their gazes steadily, concealing her flinch at the dislike in their unfriendly gazes. She showed no fear. "She'll tell you." Emori went to the hammock, where she had left the chick she'd found - but it was empty. She halted, in shock, while the other two looked at each other, sneering entering their gazes. "What? I... I don't understand. I just left her there."

"Maybe we should consider that nothing ever fell." A silky voice sounded. Emori turned, seeing a male Cuban Red macaw at the entrance, behind the Hooded Grebe and Blue-Billed Currasow. He was the only Cuban Red macaw on the island, and his name was Marcos. Marcos was one of their leader's most trusted birds, but Emori didn't get why their leader trusted him. _She_ wouldn't trust someone who was full of charisma to most birds, but cold to those he didn't like. He was cold towards her, and she didn't know why.

"Why would I make something up, just to drag you here?" Emori's feathers bristled defensively, but she didn't shrink from Marcos' unfriendly stare. As far as she could remember, Marcos had always disliked her - like most did. "You have to believe me - she just fell from the sky, last night."

"Really? I never heard you come flying last night, to get help." Marcos narrowed his eyes - he was twisting it.

"Birds falling from the sky? I've never heard of something so ridiculous." The Pink-Headed duck sneered in disbelief. Emori held her ground, digging her talons into the sandy floor.

"Perla said a bird gets blown here every once and a while. Why would I lie? She was hurt, unconscious... I couldn't leave her here in the middle of the night. She needs help, you have to -"

"Come back to us when you find this imaginary bird." Retorted the Blue-Billed Currasow. He spun round, tail swishing the dusty floor - it flew up, in Emori's face, and she leapt back, coughing. He'd obviously done that on purpose.

"Does this look imaginary?" Emori grabbed a blue feather from the hammock, holding it up. "It's one of hers. Show the feather to Anya. She'll tell you it's not from any species here." Despite offering it, none of the birds took the feather. Clearly they still didn't believe her.

"Yeah, we'll do that, kid." Snorted the Pink-Headed duck, walking out the entrance. Emori watched them leave, with a heavy heart, knowing they wouldn't. She turned back to the hammock, feeling the familiar despair. If someone else, anyone else, had found the unconscious bird, they would have been believed. _No one trusts me._ She then realized that Marcos was still there. Emori whirled round, feathers bushed in hostility. She may have been a chick, but she didn't back away when Marcos towered - somewhat menacingly - over her. She wasn't afraid of him.

"Leave me alone." Emori said. Marcos watched her for a long moment, a strange look in his eyes, before turning away, sweeping out of the hollow before she could blink. Emori stood there for a moment, in case he came back, before turning back to the leaf hammock. She had no idea where the chick had gone, but Emori knew she had to find her. _I don't know where she came from. There's no one like her here - she's definitely a macaw, but I don't know which kind._ Emori paused. _What if she came from outside?_

The 'outside' was a taboo amung the island population. It was mysterious, unknown, something most had been raised to fear and reject. There was a popular saying on the island - that anything out there destroyed the slightest ray of sunshine. But Emori didn't share the firm belief that the world beyond the island was full of danger. Not for the first time, she felt that cruel wanting, the desperation to be somewhere else. She'd always wondered what was beyond the sea. If the chick she'd found was from out there, maybe Emori could find some answers.

 _Meanwhile_

Daniella climbed the tree, for she was too afraid to try and use her injured wing. It didn't seriously hurt anymore - it ached still, but she didn't want to risk anything. She paused as she climbed, noticing that it was purple. Pushing back the feathers, she saw bruising underneath - dark, grey and purple. _That must have been why it hurt so much. It was so bruised._ She noticed how the purple wasn't just the skin. There was a glossy, violet liquid coating the feathers and the skin of her right wing. _Did the green and brown bird do that?_ Daniella tried to remember more about the mysterious stranger. Was it just a figment of her imagination? Had her pain and exhaustion made her hallucinate?

Daniella was climbing the tree to get a look of her surroundings. What part of Rio was she in? The forest was different here. The trees were different, the air had that tang of salt, and that wasn't all. She paused, seeing what looked like a basket suspended in the air. The basket was made of woven leaves, and it was tied to a branch. She noticed another one, on the other end of the vine. One was full of nuts and fruit, with a strange bird perched on the edge.

"-Gianna! I'm coming up!" He called. Daniella watched in fascination as he dropped a large rock into the other basket suspended a foot from him - as that one went down, he, perched on the basket of food, went up. He disappeared into the tree canopy, and Daniella peered out from behind some leaves, confused and fascinated. _We don't do that. Not even the Blue-and-Golds do, and they always have a surprise up their wings!_ The male bird had used the basket to carry large quantities of food all at once, to save himself a few trips. She blinked after him. S _trange... he almost looks like one of those really rare birds. Tulio had a whole book on them, and he looks like one._ She couldn't remember what the bird was called, but he certainly resembled it. _Aren't they meant to be extinct?_

"Hurry up!" A female voice called, cheerfully. "I could've flown the whole island by now." Suddenly Daniella's heart crashed. _Island?_

 _She must be joking._ Daniella raced up the tree, heart thundering. _She has to be joking!_ But then she reached the top of the tree. Daniella was utterly horrified - other than one more tiny island, water surrounded her from all angles. Dark blue and glistening under the sun, as far as the eye could see. _She's not joking,_ sneered a mocking voice. _Rio? You wish!_ The world spun. Daniella felt nausea swarming up, and then horror. _Mom, dad, Leo! What if I never -_ Daniella didn't finish the thought.

Daniella whirled round, diving into the tree canopy. She didn't know where she was going - she just had to get away from the sight of the sea, which had no end. But there no subtlety - she crashed through the leaves in her frenzy to get away, attracting the attention of some birds in the trees. Just as Daniella reached the forest floor and began to run, she collided with something.

"Ah!" She exclaimed, in shock. Jumping back, she feared the worst. There was the sound of birds descending, squawking - but she barely heard them. The memory of last night came back. The green and brown feathers took shape in her mind, and now they took the form of Emori.


	18. Islanders

She was a small girl, probably the same age as Daniella, maybe a little older, but not by much. She had a mostly green face, with a rogue dark brown patch of feathers on her right cheek. The areas around the beak and eyes were brown, and white skin acted as a border between the eyes, beak, and brown feathers. She had dark brown eyelashes, with an auburn tint, with yellow irises. Brilliant blue flared from the center, like flower petals blooming out from the black pupils. _Unusual_.

Daniella immediately knew that she was a Chestnut-Fronted macaw, because there was a small, friendly family of them living on the border between the Spix's and the Blue-and-Golds. Like them, her beak and talons were black. Her white skin was decorated with thin lines of black feathers, the edges of her wings red and blue. But her head feathers were a darker green than the rest, a spiky cluster on the back of her head, like pineapple leaves. She realized that they were this way because they were tied with a coral pink ribbon, the two ends fluttering beneath the feather bunch. _Ribbon? Where did she get ribbon? It's an island..._

"You!" Daniella exclaimed.

"You remember me?" The Chestnut Fronted macaw replied, eyes widening.

"I... I think it's you." Daniella tipped her head to the side. The chick didn't reply, but her eyes filled with utter wonder and curiosity. "What's your name?"

"Emori!" Called a voice, from above. Daniella looked up - an enormous bird was descending down, and her heart plunged. "What - who's this?" The bird landed, the ground thumping when he did. She shrank down in fear, seeing even more birds coming down - she lost it. In terror, she leapt away from Emori, but she was trapped against a tree. Half a dozen birds stood between her and Emori, staring - they had never seen anything like her before. They were even more frightening because she failed to recognize their species. She'd never seen any - other than two, which she recognized from Tulio's book of extinct and rare birds. They were whispering to each other, looking at Daniella as though she were an alien.

 _"I've never seen a bird like that before!"_

 _"Where did she come from?"_

 _"Stop whispering! The poor thing's terrified."_

 _"What's that around her neck?"_

"Where am I?" Daniella demanded, wanting an answer - hearing the last whisper, she placed a protective wing around the piece of amethyst, her one piece of home. The birds kept their distance; Emori desperately tried to see through them. Daniella noticed how one of the birds looked at Emori, before purposely shifting to block her view. Her skin crawled.

"Don't be afraid - we won't hurt you." Said a female bird, in a soothing voice. There was something odd about her - she was small, short and compact, unlike other birds, with a small beak and a flat face, with enormous talons compared to her body. _Forest owlet... I thought they came from a place called India?_ The Forest Owlet and a male Blue-Billed Currasow was all she recognized from Tulio's book. The other four were birds she didn't know. The other, Emori - she was different from the rest. Daniella couldn't pinpoint what it was, but it wasn't the fact that she was younger, or that she had a coral pink ribbon tying back her head feathers. The Forest Owlet continued. "Sweetie, do you live on this island?"

"She doesn't, Gylfie." Emori said, from the back. "I found her last night, she -"

"Don't interrupt, Emori." Snapped the Blue-Billed Currasow. Emori stared, in hurt.

"I told you myself..." She began, but the currasow gave her a shove.

"You haven't answered _my_ question!" Danielle cried, feeling more distressed. "Where am I?"

"Perla, tell Anya and Eden there's a kid from outside." Gylfie, the Forest Owlet, murmured to a female bird Daniella didn't recognize.

"Eden hasn't been seen since last night..."

"Then tell Anya." The bird nodded, before turning and flying away. "You're on our island. Alegria Island." _Alegria? That means 'joy'._

"How did you get here?" Asked a male bird with webbed feet.

"I..." Daniella's tongue swelled, and suddenly she couldn't speak. The other birds glanced at one another at her silence.

"Let's ask her later." Suggested the remaining bird. "Clearly she's confused and frightened... I was pretty torn up when I arrived here." _I'm not the only one?_ "Who are you?"

"I'm... I'm Daniella." She said. Her legs shook in fear as the birds whispered.

"Look, let's get her to Melodia." Said Gylfie. "The poor thing's clearly shaken. She looks exhausted - Melodia can find something to help her get over the shock..."

"And she can determine what species she is." Muttered the currasow.

"That doesn't matter, Lorac." Gylfie retorted. "She's a little girl. Species doesn't matter." Her gaze lingered on Emori, who was still looking at Daniella. Gylfie came towards Daniella, but she cowered back - some owls ate other birds. Somehow, Gylfie noticed this. "Don't worry about what I am, Daniella. On Alegria, we live in harmony. We have a pact that says we never harm - nor eat - one another. I hunt mice."

"Except for Kehua." Muttered someone. The other birds stiffened. _Kehua?_

"Ignore him." Said a male bird, simply.

 _Later_

"I seeked this island out three years ago." Murmured Melodia, in a distant voice. "I'd heard rumours of this bird paradise, hidden not far off Brazil's coast. I believe fate guided me here. The spirits were there to guide me..." _She's crazy._ Maybe being lost at sea had made the Sun parakeet mad, or the scent of the tree had done something to her after living in it for so long. The tree had oddly coloured leaves and a pungent scent that made Daniella feel a little sickly. Melodia reminded her of her great-great-aunt Mimi - she was a bit crazy. Daniella watched the little fire in the floor, feeling nervous. "Don't worry about that, dear... we've mastered fire ever since we got here."

 _Mastered fire? Hammocks? Baskets to carry food throughout the forest? Music?_ She'd witnessed a bird plucking grass strings, and another blowing a flute carved from wood. _It's all so weird._ Even Melodia had what resembled a banjo on the wall. _Banjo._ She was reminded of her cousin back home, Bromeliad's son. Again, she felt a pang of terror at the thought of what her family must be feeling. _Have mom and dad and Leo told them?_

"Drink up. This'll give you the energy of the universe..." _Definitely a bit crazy._ Melodia took a wooden pot off the fire, pouring it into a nut shell. Daniella took a sip - but it assaulted her taste buds. She spat it out in revulsion. Melodia rolled her grey eyes. "What did you expect, coconut water?" Shaking her head, she tossed the cup away. "Never mind, then. Enlighten me, young one... where did your story begin?" Daniella was in no state of mind to tell this stranger her life story.

"I got swept here by the storm last night."

"Ah, it was a real howler." Melodia murmured. "Thank the stars you made it in one piece. Now... are you a Spix's macaw?"

"Uh... yes, actually." Daniella looked up in surprise.

"Ah, I thought so." Melodia nodded. "Very rare species..." Daniella blinked. "I'll inform Anya and Eden."

"Who?"

"Anya's our leader." Melodia explained. "She's very wise, an inspiration to all. She brought her birds together in a time of great sorrow and fear - she created our society, kept us safe and hidden when a human wandered onto our island. Anya is one of the few survivors of the shipwreck that brought us here in the first place." _Shipwreck?_ "Eden's her second-in-command, the one who will take her place when Anya's time as leader comes to an end."

"Have you seen Eden, actually?" Said an elderly voice. Daniella looked round, to see a very old, female bird standing there in the hollow entrance.

"I'm afraid not, Anya. Not since this morning." Melodia answered. She dipped her head in respect. "I would have brought Daniella to you myself, Anya. You should be resting."

"I assure you, I am fine." Anya replied. "There's still a few years left in me." Anya's eyes then found Daniella, and she moved across the room.

Anya was elderly - a simple brown bird the colour of cinnamon, with a blue-grey neck. She had greying feathers, and she was small and skinny, smaller than petite Bia. She had a small beak, with large brown eyes that were warm and wise. She had a short tail, and a long scar parting the feathers of her stomach. Yet Daniella could identify her as a Socorro dove - native to an island off Mexico, apparently extinct in the wild. A Socorro dove from Mexico, a Forest Owlet from India. _Does it get any more strange?_

"I expect you're very confused and terrified right now, Daniella." Anya said, in a gentle voice that soothed the her. The Socorro dove had a soft accent of her native country, and she moved with grace and elegance despite her age and slowness. "You're the talk of the group. We rarely have visitors -"

"I have to get home." Daniella said, desperately. "My mom and dad, and my brother... they don't know where I am! Do you know the way back to the mainland?" Anya looked at Melodia, sorrow in her eyes - but Anya didn't say it out loud. They couldn't find in their hearts to say it.

"Look, young one. You've had a traumatizing time. You look exhausted, hungry - you need rest and sustenance." Anya said, gently. The Socorro dove blinked kindly. "Perhaps you will find comfort here. I will tell my birds to make you feel welcome, and we'll have a gathering to explain to you who exactly we are. Please, try to rest your mind - we won't hurt you, I promise."

Daniella trusted the elderly dove, but she still wanted to go home. Before she could protest, Daniella felt tiredness sweep over her, and she felt the gnawing in her belly. She hadn't eaten for two days. "Okay." She said, in a small voice.

"Alegria is paradise." Anya smiled. "We won't harm you. I give you my word." She then brushed out of the hollow. _It doesn't feel like paradise so far._ "Everyone gather! I have something to say." Anya began - but then she paused to cough, as elderly birds did. A few dozen birds shifted below, murmuring.

As Melodia tried to feed Daniella some strange looking fruit, Emori fluttered in the tree branches. She leaned over, to get a look at Anya, a bird she deeply respected and admired. The Socorro dove was wincing slightly, for she suffered from occasional arthritis. "I believe you have all heard that there is a new face among us. It is true - a young Spix's macaw, named Daniella." A small portion of the crowd cheered at this statement. Most knew from the words of outsiders that Spix's macaws were incredibly rare - on the island, this was favoured. _Her name's Daniella. And she's a Spix's macaw._ Slight disappointment swept over Emori. She was still alone...

"She comes from the mainland, so I want you all to make her feel welcome. Later, we'll tell her our story in our monthly night gathering..." Monthly gatherings weren't compulsory, but sometimes there was disapproval if one didn't attend. They served as a reminder of the island's past and heroes. "Also... Eden has not returned since last night. Has anybody seen her?" Anya sounded concerned - then it showed when nobody spoke up about Eden.

"We'll send out a search party!" Marcos declared. The Cuban Red macaw took control; he landed next to Anya. He puffed out his chest, and spoke in a bold, clear voice. "The patrol will include Lorac, Gylfie, Kalinda, and Wyuna." The Blue-Billed Currasow, Forest owlet and two Lesser Sulphur-Crested cockatoos flew up. Many birds looked up, with shining eyes - Marcos was the role model of the island. Strong, brave, smart, Marcos was a hero to many - but not to all. _Not to me._ Emori thought, sourly.

"Emori..." sneered a voice, before she could think of Marcos any more. Emori stiffened. "We're coming to get you, Emori..." there was sinister giggling of several kids. Emori looked around, before diving into the leaves, and flying into the forest. The kids giggled, and plunged after the Chestnut-Fronted macaw, who fled in fear.

 _Night_

"Senora... you look exhausted." Mia said, in concern, as Bia swayed on the spot. Mia was Nico's girlfriend - with snowy white plumage, blue eyes and a thick Brazilian accent, the white-feathered canary was smaller even than Nico, smaller than Leo. She was hopping around the swaying Bia, trying to guide her to the makeshift nest against the wall.

Bia's hazel eyes were glazed, her feathers messy and dirty. She hadn't slept or eaten in almost two days, and nor had Azure or Leo - although Azure had finally given in to sleep after flying all the way to the other side of the city. Looking through her fatigue-blurred vision, she saw Azure crumpled against the wall of Luiz's garage, muttering in unease as he slept. The storm last night had been torrential, so since then, they'd used Luiz's garage as shelter. The bulldog was flopped on the floor, whimpering and feeling useless in a pile of drool. Eva was whispering to the bulldog, while her four chicks slept on a shelf, too young to understand or care about the tragic situation - little Daniella had vanished, seemingly off the face of the earth.

"Leo... go join your dad. I'll keep looking." Bia murmured.

"Can't... have to look for Dani...ella." Leo stumbled along. He staggered, and almost tripped, but luckily Rafael caught him before he hit the floor.

"Listen up, girl." Pedro hovered in front of Bia. "You can't go whizzing into the city and the jungle at this time, in your state. Dani's gonna be tucked up somewhere, safe and warm, at night. You need to rest and get your energy back if you're gonna search for her." This was perhaps the wisest thing Bia had heard Pedro say, but she didn't want to rest. She wanted to go back out and search for her little girl.

"Bia... at least put your little one to bed." Mia motioned toward Leo, who was struggling to get up. There was a flash of colour in the window, as Nico and Eva returned. Mia hurried over. "Any luck?" She asked, but Eva and Nico shook their heads in misery.

"No one's seen her. But everyone's promised to keep an eye out for her." Nico gave Mia a sombre smile. Behind them, Bia finally scooped up Leo, carrying him to Azure's side - she intended to put him next to Azure, but instead, she found herself sliding to the floor next to her mate. She held Leo close, and he nestled into her feathers. Bia fought the wave of sleep - but she lost the battle. Her eyes slid shut, but not before a tear leaked from her eye.


	19. Meeting Emori

"Gather round! It's about to start!" A Blue-Throated macaw perched on a large branch. Daniella was almost swept off her feet by a surge of excited hatchings and young chicks. She leapt to the side, as more young birds went running to get to the front. There were almost a hundred birds crammed into this single tree. The most enormous tree Daniella had ever seen, it was big enough to hold every island resident. The branches joined into a colossal bowl, which was where the birds gathered in and around.

Daniella noticed that the majority of birds here were either extremely rare or endangered. Anya the Socorro Dove and two Hawaiian crows were meant to be extinct in the wild, and she'd seen an 'extinct' Laughing owl, Glaucous macaws, two Passenger pigeons, and a Crested Shelduck. She'd counted about three other species who were meant to be extinct, although rare or endangered birds were more common. Melodia the Sun parakeet was endangered - although this was where it went up to. The only common species she'd seen so far were the original island inhabitants who had been here before Anya's tribe had settled. The ones of Anya's group included a pair of Costa blue hummingbirds who kept to themselves, five Amazons, and a few more common species of macaw, as well as Emori, the Chestnut-Fronted macaw.

That was the difference between Emori and the others - she was one of the few common species living on the island. What really set her apart, however, was the fact that she was alone. Daniella hadn't seen any other Chestnut-Fronted macaws - she hadn't even seen Emori herself since their accidental, yet brief, encounter a few hours earlier. Where were Emori's parents? She'd asked Anya earlier, who had looked uncomfortable when she said Emori had been born in Alegria. Emori wasn't stranded like herself - surely she should have some family members somewhere?

Daniella looked into the tree bowl. A flame shot through the air, and then a fire roared to life in dramatic fashion. The Blue-Throated macaw was on her perch, the fire casting shadows on the wall. Daniella sat down to observe, curious. The Blue-Throated macaw, named Merri, was speaking.

"We have been living on this island for many, many years." She had a voice that drew Daniella in - one she simply wanted to listen to, like her father's. "It was all so long ago, before I or many others were born. Some of the original are still among us." Merri smiled at a group of middle-aged to elderly birds, including Anya. "This is their story."

"It must have been thirty - maybe fourty or more years ago." _That's before any of my youngest grandparents were born. Eduardo and Mimi would've been younger than Blu, Jewel, Roberto and Sophia are now..._ "A ship had been travelling all over the world for many months. Along the way, it stopped at all kinds of coastlines, although it began in South America, where we are now." Daniella's heart briefly fluttered with hope, but then she was drawn into the story. "The vessel stopped in the dark, in the brutal cold and sweltering heat - coast to coast. A flimsy wooden vessel travelled, picking up rare birds in the dead of night." There was a little coughing in the audience - a tiny group of birds Daniella knew to be very common off the island.

"Sorry, it picked up a variety of birds." Merri corrected herself. Daniella noticed a small group of rarer birds looking at the common birds - they seemed to be glaring with disapproval. Gylfie, the Forest owlet, muttered something to the group who looked disapproving.

"Hey! This is no place for your views." She snapped. They snorted, and turned their backs on both Gylfie and the common birds. There was a horrible feeling of awkwardness over the tree bowl. Merri coughed to draw attention back to her story.

"As I was saying... the boat was coming to the end of it's journey, destined for the same place it came from - Brazil." Merri went on. "But then, one night, there was trouble for the humans. Something was wrong. There was a great shaking, and then there were no lights - humans were leaping into orange boats, as the wooden vessel was struck by waves, rain. Water gushed in, and then the boat ground to a halt, finally."

"The remaining humans escaped, leaving the caged birds in their panic, but they managed to escape their cages. They found themselves on a beach - an island in the middle of the sea, with no coastline in sight. It was obvious that finding home was impossible, so they decided to make the most of what they had. Anya lead the way. She declared rules, carved out a place for us, named the island Alegria - after her sister, who sadly didn't make the journey." There was a moment respectful silence. "Alegria gives us everything we need - the world out there is too dangerous for those of us who are so rare..." Merri was looking at the birds who were thought to be extinct, like a Laughing owl, and a Cuban Red macaw next to Anya.

"We came from all over the world. That explains why some of us aren't of South America. Some of us hail from India, Oceania..." the list went on, naming places, species Daniella had never heard of. "...and from the Caribbean, two Cuban Red macaws were on the voyage too. While they may not be with us anymore, they left a son." Merri, and several others, turned to a figure next to Anya, utmost respect in their eyes. Marcos, the Cuban Red macaw.

 _Cuban Red macaws have been extinct for... well, for over a century. Unless there's a pocket of them living somewhere... he's got to be one of the last ones._ Marcos was a colourful bird. He had a mostly red and yellow head with an orange face and belly, with brownish-red and blue wings. His red tail shifted to blue on the tip, and there was a high, arching, scar above his eye - it was enormous, thick. Whoever did it had huge claws. There was also three thinner ones across his throat. He had green eyes - intense and startling, like a cat's. Unlike her aunt Carla, who had emerald eyes that always shone with love, Marcos' green eyes were piercing and rather unsettling, as if he could see into her thoughts. He noticed her staring at him, and looked at her with his unblinking gaze. She looked away, focusing on Merri and her young audience.

 _So that's how they came to be there._ Daniella watched the younger kids excitedly ask questions about the island and the journey. _No wonder there's rare birds from all over the world. They were all on the same smuggling boat when something went wrong - if it was wooden like Merri said, it wouldn't be strong enough to withstand a storm. All headed for Brazil... only they never made it._

"Unfortunately, not all species who originally arrived on the island have survived. Some weren't compatible with the heat and environment, so they either perished or left the island. What became of them, we'll never know..." after this point, Merri began talking about another story, and Daniella lost interest.

Suddenly there was a rustling nearby, and she picked out voices - giggling, the sound of struggle. She looked back, for Anya was supposed to be watching her. The Socorro dove was talking to Marcos about 'Eden', who was supposed to be second in command, yet she hadn't been seen for two days. Marcos looked uncomfortable when he mentioned someone called 'Kehua'. But then her attention was drawn back to the giggling, and rustling - now, the sound of protesting was heard, a voice that sounded familiar. A force was pulling her away from the gathering, and then she was moving through the leaves, silent as a mouse. Daniella kept her distance, unsure what it was.

A flame was travelling ahead, although it was hard to see who carried it in the dark. There was the silhouette of a writhing shape being carried - no, dragged - through the air. _"Get off!"_ The voice was young, yet fierce and full of resilience. Then the group descended to the floor - there was a loud thump as the bird was thrown down, hard. Daniella flinched - it must have hurt, for there was a grunt of pain. Then the flame on the stick was jabbed into the soil, casting light all around. Daniella peered out from some leaves, realizing with shock. The Chestnut-Fronted macaw who found her was struggling out of a puddle of mud, surrounded by three kids.

"Where's your dead parents, Emori?" Sneered a young Hawaiian crow. Daniella's heart lurched.

"Shut up." Emori hissed.

"Where'd you get that human thing?" A female chick who's species Daniella couldn't deduce tugged at the coral pink ribbon tying Emori's head feathers into a spiky bunch. "Did your mom and dad abandon you? Is it all you have left of them? Why wear it when they left you here to live alone?"

"At least my parents weren't stuck up!" Emori spat, boldly. "Unlike yours."

"What'd you say?" The girl narrowed her eyes. "You'll regret that, common scum." _Common scum?_ "Maybe your parents left you behind so they could treat other rare species like dirt!" Suddenly the third, a hefty male chick, seized Emori off the floor, holding her back as the other two approached. "Your parents were freaks!"

"That's not true and you know it!" Emori writhed against the big male bird who held her. "It can't be true!" Daniella had no clue what was going on, but she didn't like it one bit.

"You're so naive and stupid." Snapped the Hawaiian crow. "Hold this loser still, Florian. Let's give her a scratch on her other cheek, too. Make it symmetrical." It was then that Daniella saw a scab on Emori's right cheek, freshly dried. Emori hissed, and bucked in the hefty chick's grasp, resisting but not strong enough to wriggle free. In the bush, Daniella was watching the scene in shock and anger. Suddenly she had flashbacks. She had an image - a blue chick with lavender eyes and black head feathers being shoved into an underground stream, repeatedly dunked underwater. On the end of the vine, Ivanna, Camille and Valentina laughed, too young and stupid to understand the danger of what they were doing. Fire burned within her, and for the first time ever, she forgot her fears, her hesitation.

"Hey!" Daniella shouted. The rage built as she launched herself from hiding - without thinking, she bowled over the Hawaiian crow who had raised a talon to Emori's face. Daniella had no idea where it came from. The chick was bigger than she was, but he was too shocked to react. Daniella had never attacked anyone before, but she immediately regretted it. She sprung away, stopping herself just one time from clawing him. Behind her, the hefty chick and the female were staring, utterly shocked by this turn in events. Emori had been dropped, straight back into the mud, and she too was staring at Daniella, knowing exactly who she was.

The Hawaiian crow chick found his feet, and now he looked angry. "Oh, it's the new kid." His tone was mocking, but then his eyes returned to Emori, as did the other two's. The girl swarmed up in Daniella's face, while the hefty one stayed back.

"Beat it, blue bird. We got some unfinished business."

"I don't think so." Daniella pushed past the girl, so she stood between the trio and Emori. "What's your problem? She never did anything to you!"

"Maybe she didn't, but she came from a pair of crazy, no-good-" The Hawaiian crow chick began. Emori leapt to her feet, but then some common sense must have come into her, because she dug her claws into the ground and clenched her beak shut instead.

"You haven't lived long enough to know my parents. You can't believe what they say." She muttered. Daniella briefly wondered what happened, but she shook her head, knowing she had to get rid of the bullies first.

"Whatever happened there... doesn't matter. Leave, right now, otherwise I'll tell Anya." Daniella warned.

"Oh, look out! She'll get Anya onto us! Oh no, I don't want to get told off by some old dove!" The Hawaiian crow was obviously the leader, for he was the only one speaking. The female chick and the hefty one looked genuinely afraid; clearly they had more respect for Anya than he did.

"Ash. Maybe we really should go." The female tugged on the crow's tail. "I... I think Anya won't be pleased if she finds out we were teasing Emori again." _Again? That means it's happened before._

"This is bullying, not teasing." Daniella pointed out.

"Come on, Ash." Muttered the hefty chick. Ash glowered at his friends for failing to back him up.

"Seriously? They're so _small.._." He was defeated, so he hissed. "Cowards." He looked at Daniella with unfriendly eyes. "Since you're new here, kid, I'll let you off. But if you interrupt me again..."

"Beat it." Daniella narrowed her lavender eyes. The Hawaiian crow briefly went to mutter an insult, but then he backed up. Hissing in frustration, he turned and flew away, with his two friends in tow. Daniella couldn't believe it; had she really just done that? _I've never stood up to anyone since... well, ever._ It felt good. "Are you okay?" She turned to Emori.

"I'm fine." Clearly Emori was used to this treatment. She didn't look that upset - if anything she looked surprised that Daniella had stood up for her. "Thank you. No one's ever done that for me before." Emori got up, shaking mud off her plumage.

"It's the least I could do." _I know exactly how it feels._ "Did they do that to you?" Daniella looked at the small scab on Emori's cheek; it was barely a centimetre long, but it was still bad nonetheless.

"It's shallow, it'll heal." The Chestnut-Fronted macaw pulled the coral-pink ribbon from her head feathers, and they flew down, hanging wildly around her head; no wonder she tied them back. She examined the pink fabric, more concerned as to whether that had mud on it rather than herself. _It must be precious to her._

"Where did you get that?" Daniella asked, in curiosity. Emori paused. Briefly, pain entered her eyes, and she looked away.

"It doesn't matter." She said, retying her head feathers. Emori looked at Daniella. "So... where do you come from?"

"I..." Daniella too felt pain. "I come from the mainland. Brazil." The look of anguish in Emori's yellow and blue eyes vanished - suddenly they were twinkling with hunger. Not physical hunger, but a hunger for knowledge. Pure longing.

"What's it like?" She blurted out, before composing herself. "I mean... how did you end up here?"

"I was on a smuggling boat, but I escaped. The storm swept me here, my wing hurt so badly I stopped flying and... well, you know what happened next." They both remembered. Emori remembered something fall from sky, and Daniella remembered a green and brown face.

"Well... your family must be so worried." Emori said; there was pain once more in her gaze, at the mention of 'family'. "You need to get back, don't you?"

"I don't know the way back home." Daniella confessed.

"I don't think anyone does." Emori admitted. "No one's ever left the island and come back to tell us the way."

"There must be a way!" Daniella cried, heart pounding with fear. "My mom, dad, brother... they'll be out of their mind!" Emori's eyes flashed. "Please. I can't stay here. There must be a way back to the mainland."

"I'll help you however I can, but..." suddenly Emori froze. Her eyes were fixed on something in the trees, above. "Daniella. Make no sudden moves."

"What?" The fire on the stick was still burning - in the pitch-black forest, it blazed like a star against the night sky, and it hissed and shuddered. It was impossible not to attract attention. Danielle suddenly felt a chilling wind, but then she realized that it was a draft. A draft created by enormous wings.

On the ship that had brought the birds to Alegria, there had been another bird locked away that the group hadn't dared release. But it had escaped anyway. This one was diffierent from the other birds - it was much, much bigger.


	20. Kehua

It was a monstrous creature. Bigger than a fully grown Hyacinth, maybe even larger than a Harpy eagle, a bird Daniella's parents were deathly afraid of, for Bia had almost died after being brutally attacked on the famous journey. Daniella imagined that a scratch alone from this bird would spell certain death for someone her size. It's talons were bigger than her whole body - they'd crush the life out of her, if they didn't rip her apart first. The claws were long and curved, like fish hooks.

It had ragged, shaggy black plumage that hung from it's frame like old lichen on a tree branch. It's chest, neck and face was a greyish-white, and it had a large crest on it's head, like that of a Harpy eagle, except it was bright crimson - the colour of blood. There was also dark red on it's throat and chin, but Daniella knew that it wasn't the natural plumage colour. The beak was long and curved, as black as night, with a large crack etched into the surface. The tip of the beak itself was missing, and Daniella noticed that the bird was greying from age; the black feathers were lightening in places. It was nevertheless powerful, the muscles rippling under its scarred skin. Most scars were focused around its legs and belly, or face - the birds it captured over the years had resisted until the very end, whenever snared or pinned down in it's claws, or when the beak had dipped to deliver the killing blow.

The face, asides from the dried blood, was white, yet the areas around the eyes were blue. Two yellow moons stared out of the scarred face, with two black craters in the middle of each one. One crater was grey - a grey mist seemed to cover that eye. Claw marks surrounded it. It had been blinded on that side, like her aunt, Orchid. Orchid had lost her entire eye to a Hyacinthsmacaw, but somehow the creature's eye had been spared, albeit blinded. It swung its head to the side, so it saw both chicks with it's good eye. Whatever type of eagle or predatory bird it was, Daniella had never heard of a bird like this.

Emori leapt into action. She seized the flaming stick from the ground, shoving Daniella away, before she swiped at the creature. The flame arched, and it hit it in the chest. The bird screeched, and began hitting it's smoking feathers to stop them igniting. Daniella stared in utter shock, at both the bird and the fact that Emori had dared attack it. Emori was as hard as claws under her small size. "Come on!" Emori seized her wing, and pulled her into flight. She threw the flame into a puddle - carrying it would only draw the bird's attention. The menacing sound of eagle squawks sounded behind them.

"What is that thing?" Daniella gasped, looking over her shoulder in terror. The creature's feathers were singed, and it was enraged. With an ear-splitting screech, the ferns around it were flattened when it flapped it's wings and was airborne. It moved shockingly fast, despite its size. It tore after it's chosen prey. Emori dragged her, talon held fast onto Daniella's.

"Kehua!" Emori exclaimed, in fear.

"Ke - what?" She suddenly recalled the first meeting she'd had with the islanders. Gylfie said that everyone was bound to the rule that Anya's tribe members, herbivore and carnivore, would live in peace. But someone had muttered that Kehua did not apply to this law. Marcos had mentioned Kehua when talking about Eden, who was missing. _This_ was Kehua?

"Don't ask questions! Just follow me!" Emori suddenly made an adrupt turn, straight into some vines, and Daniella hastily followed suit. Kehua, as it was called, wasn't deterred by the vines - he was smart enough to fly around the vine curtain rather than getting entangled, like many other hunger-driven birds did. This killer was more calculating. Emori dived down, straight into a hollowed log. Daniella looked over her shoulder, horrified to see that Kehua was hot on their tails. "Head down!" Emori cried.

There was the sound of breaking wood, and splinters rained down - the top was being torn at. Daniella looked up, seeing a yellow moon stare down hungrily through the gap. Then talons shot through, and she ducked to avoid it. Ahead, Emori didn't rush out of the hollowed end; that end shuddered as Kehua moved, waiting for them to appear below. She seized a stone and threw it into the ferns, so fast it blurred. The eagle dived after the mossy stone, the green resembling the feathers of a Chestnut-Fronted macaw. "This way!" Emori then dived to the side, and Daniella rushed to follow.

Both chicks were exhausted, but Emori knew this place. She came to it often, so she had everything working in their favour. "Why are we stopped?" Daniella wailed, at the streambank. The familiar chill seeped into her bones at the sight and sound of water.

"Trust me!" Emori hissed. There was a vine tied to a root. The vine, like a yarn, had been twisted with others to reinforce it, and there was a loop at the end. Emori was hastily tying it around her leg.

"What are you doing?" Daniella looked at Emori, in utter amazement and slight anger. "This is no time for -" There was the sound of crashing undergrowth; Kehua had realized he had been tricked, and now he was following the sound of bird voices.

Moments later, Kehua burst out of the undergrowth. He halted, expecting his prey - but he was instead surprised. The bank was empty. He looked around, with beady yellow eyes, searching everywhere, but there was no sign. Kehua prowled the bank like a cat, dismissing the frantic surge of bubbles and slight splashing going on under his beak, or the twitching vine going into the water.

Under the surface, amongst roots, Daniella writhed and struggled in terror. Emori clung to her, desperately trying to stop Daniella from revealing their hiding place, as well as holding on so she wouldn't be swept away. The vine around her leg was the only thing connecting them to the bank; their feathers would have dragged them down, but Emori had a grip on a long root. Everytime she went into the water, she'd use roots or the vine to haul herself back up to the surface; macaws couldn't swim unaided with their feathers.

Emori, holding onto the struggling Daniella, pulled herself along the root, underneath an overhanging leafy plant close to the surface of the water. Concealed from Kehua, Emori hauled Daniella above the surface for air, one wing hanging onto a leaf above their heads. Daniella opened her beak to scream at Emori, but the Chestnut-Fronted macaw shook her head desperately. "Shut it! He'll hear!" Emori whispered, frantically. Daniella angrily went to shout anyway, but then she saw the shaggy black bird, terrifyingly close to their leafy hideout.

Daniella momentarily forgot her anger, too terrified to shout - scared both because of the water up to her neck, and at Kehua, who stalked closer every second. But the feeling of cold water all around her was worse. She fought against Emori, the water cold and feeling more like venom. Her skin crawled, her blood pounded, as she remembered being battered by the storm. Beside her, Emori watched with a pounding heart as Kehua reluctantly retreated from the bank, accepting that his hunt was unsuccessful. With a screech of pure anger, he took flight, disappearing into the rainforest. Emori kept hold of Daniella for a little longer, in case he returned, before she pushed the struggling Spix's macaw to the bank.

"What did you think you were doing?" Daniella hauled herself out of the stream, shaking like a leaf. "We're birds! We don't swim! Are you crazy?" Emori emerged, dripping water; she shook her feathers, sending water droplets everywhere. Daniella flinched every time one hit her. Emori's own heart raced, but it was from Kehua's presence, not from being underwater.

"How else were we going to get away?" Emori asked, in confusion. Non-waterbirds on the island had utilized the swimming skill after it was discovered that Kehua couldn't enter water, for some reason. Many birds who had refused to go into water had met a gruesome fate at Kehua's talons.

"But not water!" Daniella shrieked.

"Why not? Would you rather be eaten?" Emori squeezed the water from her head feathers, making sure that the pink ribbon hadn't been lost. Daniella looked so shocked, it was almost amusing. "We can rarely outfly him! Hiding in water is usually our only escape..." Emori paused, noticing how shaken Daniella was. "You okay?" Daniella was trembling almost violently, lavender eyes filled with an indescribable terror. _Water isn't that bad... admittedly it would be a shock at first. But she flew through a storm, this is nothing compared to that._

"I'm fine." Daniella said, bluntly. Emori knew it wasn't, but that had to wait. They had to hide before Kehua came back.

By the time they'd gotten back to Emori's tree roots, Daniella still seemed shaken. Emori let Daniella go into the hollow first, before following and quickly sliding the slate across the hollow entrance. She paused momentarily, scanning the surroundings; she saw a few birds heading the way they'd came from. "Hey!" She shouted. They looked down. "Kehua's been hanging around... be careful." The group of birds looked petrified, looking around with fearful eyes and bristling feathers. One snorted, and even from the ground, Emori heard the voice of Marcos' right-wing bird, the Blue-Billed Currasow.

 _"Are you seriously believing her? After the corruption of -"_

 _"Shut up, Lorac. She's too young to remember anything her parents did. She's innocent."_ Emori felt tears spring to her eyes, at both the cruel doubt and the misconception of her parents. _I want it to be a misconception. But what if it's true? They all say it is. Marcos especially._ That was one of the reasons why she hated the Cuban Red macaw. He had been a witness of that event. Emori tried not to remember the story surrounding her mother and father - her whole life she had denied that it was the truth, but after hearing it said so much, she was beginning to think the unspeakable crime they'd committed was true. She felt cold. Pushing the slate over the gap, Emori entered her home, determined to forget it.

She lived alone. As a hatchling, she'd been raised by Melodia, the somewhat mad Sun Parakeet - one of the few who had volunteered to take care of her after the death of her parents. Melodia hadn't been much use as an adoptive carer - she ate those foul-tasting fruit and leaves off her tree and had tried to feed Emori it too. She was also very forgetful, meaning she'd forget that she was supposed to be caring for a chick. But under all her flaws, Melodia was kind to Emori. She had taught her fly, although Emori had once heard someone try to persuade her not to. Another example of cruelty Emori endured for her parentage - and for a smaller fraction, her species too.

Daniella was shivering in the middle of the hollow; the water on the island was rather cold. Emori noticed this, and pulled down a long piece of shaggy moss, draping it around the little macaw. "Thanks." Daniella sank into it as Emori shoved some twigs and dead leaves into the dip in the ground. Daniella was watching her intently, and she shrunk back when sparks flew from the flint Emori struck. A small flame grew, warm and bright. Emori saw how Daniella looked on it with fear.

"It's okay, I've got it under control."

"Sorry. I know, it's just... where I'm from, fire is... something to be scared of." Daniella watched the flame anxiously, not seeing the look of curiosity on Emori's green and brown face.

"Really? We've been using it for years. Well... they have." Emori didn't feel part of the community. If anything she wasn't a fan of fire, but since Daniella was cold and wet, she didn't have a choice. "Fire's not good where you come from? Where's that?" Was this her opportunity to find out more about the outside?

"The Amazon." Daniella felt the warmth beginning to seep back. "It's where I was born. It's like the rainforest here. Except... the ocean's far away. It's got a huge river instead, and the whole Amazon is bigger than a thousand Alegrias. And... we don't swim." Emori's look of utter interest turned to concern. As much as she wanted to find out more, her concern for Daniella was more important. She was drawn to this outsider, for some reason more than access to the outside world.

"You seemed a bit... freaked out. I thought you was going to tear me to shreds under the water."

"It's the water itself." Whispered Daniella. Emori blinked. "When I was little, I... I got shoved into an underground stream by these horrible girls. I haven't gone near water voluntarily since." Emori felt a swell of surprise. She was an aquaphobic. Now it made sense.

"I'm so sorry, I had no idea..." Emori suddenly understood. No wonder Daniella had struggled so much. Had she made it worse, by pulling her underwater? A realization dawned upon her as Daniella changed the subject, desperation entering her eyes.

"I have to go home. My family... I have to get back to them. But I don't know the way back, and I look at the ocean and I just..." Daniella shook. "I can't fly over it. I'm pathetic." Her eyes went shiny with the beginning of tears. "I don't see a way home. There's no way I can fly across the sea, let alone know where I'm going."

"Knowing the way home won't mean a thing if you're too scared to fly over the ocean." Emori pointed out. An idea was manifesting, a flower of excitement, growing in her mind. "Listen. I don't know the way to the mainland, but surely someone must. There must be someway back to... was it Rio?" Daniella nodded. "Look, we might not know the way. But if I help you overcome this fear... can I come with you?"

"Come with me?" Daniella stared. "You can't. What about your friends, your family?" Emori stiffened.

"I have neither."

"What? What happened to your -"

"It doesn't matter." Emori said, quickly. She shook her feathers, shaking off a bad dream. "Let me leave with you, if I teach you to overcome your fear. Deal?"

 ** _I couldn't quite decide on which predatory bird I wanted - I've already used Harpy eagles before, and none of the predatory birds I researched jumped out at me. So, Kehua is purely a species out of my imagination - let's say that he is an undiscovered species of eagle. It's so much more fun that way._**


	21. Close

Leo followed Bia through the rainforest, with Rafael flying alongside. The past few days had been nightmarish. They'd been searching all day, and now, they were finally returning to Luiz's garage, unsuccessful once again. Bia wanted to keep looking, but Leo's exhaustion as well as Rafael's had persuaded her to call it a day. Leo was exhausted, but his tiredness was nothing compared to how worried he was for his lost sister.

 _My little sister has vanished off the face of the earth! My mom cries every night._ Leo had woken in the middle of the night to find Azure comforting Bia, who was weeping her heart out. Bia put on a strong face in the day, but she broke down at night. Daniella had to be so scared, wherever she was. She'd never been alone before, and almost everything scared her. Leo was desperate to find her. Of course they hadn't told their family back home; they'd be in hysterics. What if they never found her? What if she was _dead?_ Daniella couldn't be. Leo refused to believe it. _She can't be._

They searched in teams. Azure, Pedro, and Eva had been a team today in the west of Rio, while Nico and Mia had scouted in the east of the city, with Luiz searching his area, searching the ground. That left Leo to join Bia and Rafael to search the rainforest. They were aided by friends in the surrounding area - the story of the missing Daniella had rapidly spread. Even strangers had kindly searched for the lost chick. Nico, Pedro and Mia had made announcements in their clubs, as well as asking everyone they knew. Daniella had a significant appearance - with her light, bright blue plumage, coal-black head feathers and lavender eyes, she couldn't be missed. Yet nobody had seen her, and Leo feared the worst.

They couldn't avoid the ringing phone forever. It was constantly singing out Adele, as their family back home tried to contact them. His mother and father couldn't bear to tell them that Daniella was missing. It was only ringing more as the wall of silence grew. Leo had overheard Bia and Azure planning to answer eventually - they intended on blaming poor reception, and they also intended on not telling them back home that Daniella had vanished. Of course they didn't want to worry them.

"I'm sure she's alright." Rafael was trying to be comforting. Bia couldn't think of a reply; she was silent. "She's sensible. She won't be doing something dangerous - she's probably hiding down somewhere." Rafael looked at Leo, to comfort him too. Leo's dark hazel eyes were clouded with worry, as clouded as his mind. Bia finally went to reply, but then her head snapped round. She had heard something up ahead. "-she's smart. She'll be hidden somewhere, perfectly safe-"

"Ssh." Bia hushed Rafael. She looked over her shoulder. "Stay here, Leo." Bia, followed by a confused Rafael, flew forwards, into some vines. Out of Leo's hearing range, Bia landed on a branch, Rafael landing next to her.

"What's going on?" Rafael asked, quizzically.

"Look." Bia pointed. She was pointing at an empty cage, slowly moving downwards through the air. It was plastered with mud and leaves, but empty. It reached the floor, landing at the feet of a female human. She was muttering in disappointed Portuguese, for her trap hadn't caught anything. _"Smuggler."_ Bia hissed, in disgust, for once forgetting that Daniella was missing. "Clearly the sanctuary's not as airtight as Linda and Tulio think." Her anger faded. A realization dawned upon Bia. "Rafael. Do you think... do you think this has been going on for long? Since... before we got here."

"Bia, you can't surely think that..." Rafael didn't dare say what they were both thinking. _What if Daniella got caught in one of those?_

Leo wandered about the place Bia had told him to stay. For a sweet moment, he forgot that his sister was missing, that his parents were sick with fear and worry - in the night time, the forest was beautiful. The shadows didn't scare him - rather, they were fluid and rich, dancing in the moonbeams. The most vibrant of fruit and flowers were seemingly dipped in silver, and the scent of night flowers took possession of the area. Under his impulsive, sometimes reckless behaviour, he was a dreamer with a vivid imagination. He was really soft-hearted, even if he seemed thoughtless sometimes.

Leo was so distracted by his surroundings that he didn't notice a human below. It raised a weapon, taking aim at the fluttering bird above. Then Leo's wings were entangled. He plunged through the air, with a sqeaul of shock and confusion. The net had shot out of nowhere, clinging to him, wrapping him into a ball. Leo plummeted through the tree canopy; at first he thought he would hit the ground, but then he was caught by a pair of rough hands. He writhed, shrieking in terror as the grip on him became iron. Through the black mesh he was entangled in, Leo saw a smirking human face.

"Dumb bird." He sneered. He shouted through the trees, and a female started their way through the vegetation. Leo continued to screech as he was dropped into a silver cage, the door shut and padlocked. He'd heard all sorts of horror stories about being caught. He struggled free of the netting, continuing to squawk and throwing himself against the cage wall. "Got one! Your traps are useless -" but Leo's shrieks weren't unheard. A blood-curdling squawk ripped the quiet apart as the two adult birds returned. All around, birds sleeping in their nests were abruptly woken.

Bia launched herself through the air, talons outstretched, eyes blazing hazel fire. She screeched, and without hesitation, she raked her barb-like claws over the male's face - the parental instinct to protect her son took control. Leo closed his eyes in terror as drops of human blood flew, as his cage clattered to the ground. The male was shouting at his female accomplice, and her hands moved to pluck up Leo's cage - but Rafael had attacked. He grabbed her ponytail, yanking hard for drawing blood wasn't in his nature. It did enough damage, for the female jerked back, shouting and trying to dislodge the toucan.

"Scram!" Shouted the male, blood trickling through his fingers as Bia continued her savage attack, now pulling his hair. His toupee went flying, leaving him almost bald.

"It's just a few birds-" the female was swatting at Rafael.

"I'm not destroying my face for a little bird!" The male retorted. "Let's get out of here!" He staggered away, and the female briefly hesitated, but then Bia's enraged screech changed her mind. She tore after the male, covering her head as Bia went to chase her. As soon as the humans were long gone, Bia spun round.

"Mom! Rafael!" Leo cried, still trapped in the locked cage. He clung to the bars. "Help!"

"Try and stay calm, kid!" Rafael exclaimed, staring, dumbfounded, at the padlock. "Bia, how do we break it?"

Bia, still breathing heavily, rushed to the cage door, her rage dying away to desperation. Leo shook in the cage, terrified. "Rafael, get me a rock!" Bia looked at Rafael pleadingly, and the toucan searched the undergrowth. "It's okay, Leo!" Bia said, quickly, as Leo had tears threatening to spill in his terror.

"Got one!" Rafael returned with a large rock in his talons. Bia grabbed it.

"Stand back, Leo!" Bia then began hammering the stone against the padlock. Leo shrank into the back wall as far as he could, as the padlock made a horrible ringing noise, and the rock made the cage shake. But then, after an agonizing wait, the padlock broke. Bia threw it away, and Rafael grabbed the door, pulling it open. Immediately, Leo threw himself at the gap, desperate to get out. The bars raked his sides, but then he was free. Leo shot out of the cage, straight into Bia's wings; he clung to his mother, trembling in fear.

Bia held him tight, her heart racing with relief. She pulled back slightly, and she began to check Leo over, turning his face, examining him for an injury, but Leo, while shaken, was unharmed. Once she was satisfied that Leo was okay, Bia hugged him again, murmuring words of comfort. "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have left you alone!" Behind the mother and son, Rafael was staring at the silver box, imagining Daniella in a cage.

 _Later_

It was a deal. Emori would help her overcome her fear of water, if she could come with her. _Come with me? Where would she go?_ She remembered the group of Chestnut-Fronted macaws living on the Spix's and Blue-and-Gold's border. If they ever got back to the mainland, could that be Emori's future? _If we ever get off this rock._

Daniella watched the ceiling, worried about how they were going to tackle her fear. But thoughts of Kehua were spinning in her mind, instead. Her stomach churned with unease, as she pictured the unsettling, yellow eyes. The fish hook-like claws. The curved beak with the tip missing. The blood-coloured crest on it's head. She could have been killed, if it wasn't for Emori's quick thinking, as extreme an escape it may have been. She and Emori had talked for a while before going to bed - the Chestnut-Fronted macaw had given her some information on the killer eagle, as well as island life. But hardly anything about herself, absolutely nothing about her family. What happened to them - Emori refused to say.

The name 'Kehua' meant 'ghost' in Maori. The name had been coined by a kiwi from New Zealand, where Maori had been spoken when he was there. The killer bird was named 'ghost' for obvious reasons - he was dark like a shadow, terrifying and elusive. Kehua seemed to be the reason behind the majority of killings on the island. Marcos, the Cuban Red macaw, often told stories of how many times he had seen Kehua end someone's life, how he himself had nearly met the same fate.

Kehua had been on the ship that brought the islanders to Alegria, but he was so dangerous, unable to communicate with the other birds, they hadn't dared release him. But then, one day, it was learnt that Kehua had escaped. Marcos' deceased father had been the one to make this terrifying discovery, when he discovered the body of Anya's sister, whom the island was named after, covered in eagle-sized clawmarks.

The wrecked cage had been found on the beach outside the shipwreck, the weak metal bars chewed apart, and Kehua himself had been eventually spotted on the Northern part of the island, which he now inhabited. The Northern side was deathly avoided, because this was where he spent most of his time, where he usually hunted. Occasionally, he would stray to the Southern part, which was where the islanders lived. The island was divided via a stretch of grassland in the center, where no one dared go.

Why on earth did they stay here, with such a dangerous creature stalking them? Emori said it was because the world outside terrified the islanders more than Kehua did. As rare species, many must have witnessed such horrors inflicted on other rare birds in their home lands. Maybe this was why humans frightened them more.

Daniella saw movement in the corner of her eye. Looking to the right, she saw Emori sleeping on the floor. Emori had insisted that she sleep in the hammock, rather than the ground. Emori was, for the fifteenth time, muttering and turning in her sleep. _She doesn't sleep well. I guess it has been a bad day for her. First those awful kids, then Kehua almost killed us, then I shouted at her for dragging me underwater. I didn't even thank her for saving my life._

"Come back..." muttered Emori. "Don't... don't leave me here..." Daniella stared at Emori on the floor. _"Mom..."_ Emori twitched in her sleep, but then, finally, she was still and silent. Daniella looked at Emori, bewildered. _Come back. Don't leave me here. Mom?_ Daniella didn't know what to think. She had assumed that Emori was an orphan. Was she right?


	22. Breakdown

Azure was clinging onto Leo, his heart racing as fast as it had been a few hours before. Hardly anyone had slept after the terrible news: Leo had almost been taken away by smugglers. The sanctuary was no longer safe. Rafael and Eva were refusing to allow their four kids back into the rainforest out of fear, and Bia and Rafael had fled the rainforest with Leo as quickly as they could last night. The sanctuary was unsafe after over ten years of establishment. Leo was asleep in his wings, seemingly the only one who had got any rest.

"I can't believe he's been so calm about all this!" Bia was pressed against his side, eyes full of distress. "If anything he should be the least calm." Leo had recovered from the initial shock of such a close call quickly - he hadn't even slept uneasily. It was shocking.

"He's a tough kid, Beatriz." Was all Azure could say.

"If I hadn't attacked that horrible human... what could have happened to him? We could have lost him as well." Bia reached over, gently brushing Leo's peaceful face. They hadn't yet addressed the elephant in the room. They were all thinking it.

"Daniella." Azure said. Bia went rigid.

"Don't." She closed her eyes. "Just don't." Suddenly she got up, and flew outside. Azure gently placed Leo in their temporary nest, before following her. This couldn't be ignored any longer. He found her on top of a lamppost overlooking the morning sky.

"Bia... we have to talk about this." He landed next to his mate.

"No, Az. No..." Bia shook her head.

"Bia, what if Dani got caught in..."

"How dare you!" Bia cried. "Y-you, you can't think that she's out there, all alone and terrified and surrounded by strangers!" Her voice was high and thick. Bia was usually so calm and level headed, but the longer Daniella was missing, the more emotional and denying she grew.

"We can't be in denial. We have to -"

"This shouldn't happen to birds like us!" Bia ignored him, cutting off his speech. "We saved three tribes from annihilation, this doesn't happen to good individuals! What have we done wrong?" Bia's emotions spilled like rainwater collected in a leaf. Saltwater began to pour from her eyes like a rain that never ended. She sobbed aloud. "This is all my fault! Why did I turn my back? Now she's out there, lost and alone! How could I let this happen?"

"You can't think that!" Azure exclaimed, his heart breaking at Bia's despair. "None of this is your fault - come here." He wrapped his wings around Bia, and she fell apart. She wept into the fluffy feathers of his neck, and the morning sun rose on Azure holding Bia, who finally released the water from her emotional dam. "I'm going to promise you this. I'm not leaving this city until we find Daniella. I'll bring her back to you, if it's the last thing I do." He was being serious. He couldn't see Bia like this anymore.

 _Alegria_

Emori pushed the slate aside, feeling the warmth of sunshine wash over her. It was very early, but this was the best time for her, when most were sleeping in and she could have some uninterrupted peace. Island life didn't start early - many slept well into the afternoon. Mornings were mostly bliss for her - nobody was out to judge her. Although this morning wasn't quite so cheerful. She was haunted - not for the first time - by the dream she'd had last night. Sometimes she was afraid to shut her eyes, in case the familiar vision came creeping back. _Forget it._

She looked around cautiously, fearful that Kehua would be out - but he was usually a nocturnal hunter. He was rarely seen during the day - if he wasn't resting, he was in the north part of the island, the deserted part he dwelled. _It must be safe now. If he was around, it wouldn't be so noisy._ Monkeys and birds called through the trees; whenever Kehua was nearby they fell silent.

Emori knew she should fear Kehua more than the other islanders. Why? That was an object of her dreams. He was _meant to be_ a key part of it, yet Emori was less scared than she should have been. Maybe she was stupidly brave, or maybe it was something else. She'd been told her past as long as she remembered, yet she didn't remember Kehua being part of it, no matter how often it was insisted. She certainly remembered a bird, but she couldn't be sure as to whether it really was the killer eagle. She had been so young at the time...

Daniella was sleeping in the hammock, still deeply asleep. Assuming that Daniella would be hungry when she woke, Emori looked up at the adjacent tree, a tree covered in different fruits and nuts. She scanned the tree, searching for the baskets, until she found one. One was full of stones, sitting on the branch, while the empty one sat next to it. The vines hung into the tree canopy, ready for use.

Emori knew that finding enough fruit for herself and Daniella would be light enough for her to carry, but she preferred using the baskets because it was simply fun, traveling up and down the canopy. She began looking at the branches, looking for the best fruit. A few acai berries hung from a branch. _That'll do._ Emori went to go forwards, but then she heard a familiar voice nearby. She stiffened.

Peering around the tree trunk, she spotted the Cuban Red macaw, Marcos, hovering before a group of birds. "We're continuing our search for Eden." He said. "Our second in command has been gone for almost four days - this part of the island hasn't been thoroughly searched." His green eyes hardened. "What was that?"

"Nothing, Marcos..." a young bird looked uncomfortable at Marcos' stare. _That's a Red-shouldered macaw. Figures._ "I was saying... do you honestly think she's still alive? It's been four days... and Kehua was seen yesterday."

"So?" Marcos bristled; unease entered his gaze at the mention of Eden being dead. "Such little faith. Besides, Emori was the one who thought she saw Kehua. Children are very imaginative." Emori's blood boiled _._ _I know what I saw! He almost killed us!_ Her fiery temper threatened to send her flying out to protest, but Emori somehow managed to stay silent and where she was. "Next time, if you have something to suggest, think it through." the Blue-Billed Currasow Lorac sniggered at this remark, while the Red-shouldered macaw hung his head in shame. This was the side of Marcos he hid from most - especially from Anya. Emori bristled; the common birds - like herself - always suffered whenever Marcos was around.

Marcos whirled in her direction, and Emori ducked behind the tree trunk. "Let's start looking." He said. "We'll split up." The Cuban Red macaw then headed her way. Emori shrunk back, but rather he flew straight past her, inches from where she hid. He should have been looking for Eden - looking all around, but instead, Marcos was flying in a particular direction, as if he knew exactly where to look. Emori wondered if she should follow him, but then she heard her name.

"Emori? Emori?" Looking down, she spotted Daniella looking around uneasily from the entrance of her home. By the time she went to look back at Marcos, the Cuban Red macaw was gone. She shook her head.

"I'm up here!" Snapping off an acai berry stalk large enough for both of them, Emori knocked the leaf basket off the branch and leapt onto the vine, spiralling down with the acai berries in the basket. Daniella looked relieved when she saw Emori come down, and her head tilted with puzzlement - the hanging baskets were peculiar to her, of course. Emori had learned a lot about Daniella last night - in her home, 'the Amazon', there were no baskets on vines, no swimming, no creature as terrifying as Kehua. There were groups of the same species, all living together in their territories. Daniella lived in a grove of trees around a plunge pool, with her enormous family. Only three of her family members were in 'Rio' right now - her mother, Bia - father, Azure - and older brother, Leo. Emori couldn't believe that Daniella had such a big family, when she herself had nobody.

Emori hauled the acai berries out of the basket, dragging them over to Daniella. She was sleepy still, drapped against the piece of slate that had been warmed by the sun. "Feels like home..." She murmured, half to Emori and half to herself. "Sometimes we lay out on rocks warmed by the sun."

"Well, if all goes to plan, you'll be home soon." _And I'll be off this island._ "Remember our deal? Let's start small." Emori then lead a half-asleep Daniella through the ferns, headed for a nearby pond, dragging the acai berry stalk.

"What about Kehua?" Daniella asked, sleepily, not scared in her tiredness.

"He rarely comes out in daylight. Plus it goes really quiet whenever he's about."

Daniella followed Emori, beginning to feel more awake when she ate a few acai berries from the trailing stalk. Her senses awakened with each burst of sweetness. Acai berries were another reminder of home, for there was a large plant that grew next to Roberto and Sophia's tree. As she followed Emori, Daniella's earliest memories came to her. She smiled to herself, remembering being swept off the ground and swung in an arc through the air by her adoring mother, who would then touch her beak to Daniella's.

"The best way to overcome this fear is to interact with it." Emori's voice stirred her out of memory. _Eduardo says that._

"When you say interact..."

"I mean physical contact, yes." Emori said, before tossing an acai berry into her beak. "We'll start small and work our way up - we'll start with a pond."

"Brilliant." Daniella muttered.

They arrived in a small clearing It was covered in thick, fluid blue shade, although a shard of sunlight sliced through the canopy, sparkling as it struck the surface of a small pool of water. Large, flat rocks surrounded the pool, rich with moss, and a pair of creamy butterflies danced over the pond. "What do you think, Ella?"

"It's... beautiful." Daniella said, in somewhat awe. It truly was - even if the bat of fear was crashing against the sides of her brain, the butterfly in her heart was fluttering with excitement at the beauty of the pond. _Still doesn't mean I want to touch it._ It was like seeing a jaguar - beautiful to look at, but that didn't mean she'd go up to it and give it a hug.


	23. Good news

Daniella peered into the pond. It was very shallow; white and grey pebbles dappled the bottom of the pool, a few inches below the surface. The edge was shallow enough for her to easily stand in, while she'd be completely immersed in water in the center. Thick reeds grew around the edges, and there were even a few lilypads scattered across the surface. It was harmless - it was too shallow for her to drown in, not deep enough for Emori being unable to rescue her. Yet she was still afraid.

"This isn't going to work." Daniella said.

"It will. You have to trust me." Emori landed at the bank edge, her talons in the water. A few ripples travelled across the surface, spreading out and fading across the pond. A tiny, silver fish made a swift turn and darted away from the Chestnut-Fronted macaw, disappearing into the pool. _Then why do I just see bones and darkness?_ Daniella remembered the skeletal remains of an animal, and feeling large, slimy fish. "We're not getting anywhere if you can't fly over the sea. Come on - put one talon into the water."

"Okay." Daniella went forward, slowly, to the edge. With great reluctance, she extended a foot, before snatching it back, not even touching the surface. The areas over Emori's yellow and blue eyes raised.

"Okay. Try again." Emori watched her closely. Daniella looked at the pond. _Come on. It's harmless. Do you want to get home, or not?_ She reached forward again - this time, she managed to touch the water. "Well? How does it feel?"

It was warm to the touch, heated by the warm air and the sun. It was silvery and smooth, fluid and almost pleasant. It was no where near as terrible as she remembered - there was no hammering rain striking her like a falling Brazil nut, no powerful current trying to sweep her away into the dark. She had full control this time.

"It's... it's not so bad." Daniella admitted, and the look of concern on Emori's face lifted. She dared to move her talon a through the water, seeing and feeling the water swish.

"Try standing in it?" Emori pressed. Daniella retracted her talon. "Daniella. I'm right here. You're not going to drown if I'm here!" It was obvious from the tone of her voice that Emori wasn't the most patient of teachers. Daniella felt a trace of fear, for making others angry - in the slightest - made her feel terrible. Although the guilt wasn't as powerful this time. Usually she did whatever it took to please others, which she had done when she went along with Leo, Jessie, Feliz and Angelo in a secret endeavour out of Tiago and Orchid's supervision. If that had happened now, she might not have given into their pressure and stayed behind.

Daniella was still for a long moment, weighing up her options. She wanted to refuse. _But if I do that... I'll be stuck here forever!_ Emori went to shake her head and sigh, but then Daniella surprised them both by stepping into the shallows, although very close to Emori. Her talons shook in the water, and she clenched her beak. "I did it." She said, in a high-pitched voice. "Can I - what are you doing?" Emori had taken her necklace, and tossed it deeper.

"Oops." Emori said.

"Oh, hilarious." Daniella said, with annoyance. Forgetting the depth, she ran forwards as her one piece of home began sliding down the slope of the pond. She forgot the depth, of how the water was now halfway up her wings, as she retrieved the necklace. She went to glare at Emori, but her face was only full of delight.

"See? That wasn't so bad!" She exclaimed. Daniella realized with a jolt how deep she was. For a moment, she had forgotten how much she feared the water. But then it came rushing back. Emori's joy turned to shock when Daniella sqeauled in panic, springing back to land. She shook the water from her feathers, flinching at every droplet. She whirled round, in anger, to Emori.

"Not so bad? I could have drowned!" Daniella bristled.

"Hey, don't get angry at me for trying to help you." Emori replied, narrowing her eyes. This was going to be a lot harder than she thought. "You just retrieved it without thinking of the water!" Before Daniella could reply, they both heard a long, bellowing call. Emori's annoyance turned to tension as she froze, feathers risen.

"What is it?" Daniella turned toward the sound. It was a long, echoing noise, not that of an animal.

"The conch..." Emori's eyes widened. "Come on!" She turned, leaping out of the pond, forgetting their quarrel.

"What's a conch?" Daniella asked, rushing to keep up.

"It means trouble. It's an emergency meeting, and they're never good news. We have to go, now."

 _Meanwhile_

Bia felt better now that she had released her bottled-up emotions. The weight on her shoulders had somewhat lifted, but it was still there in her heart, the fear of never seeing Daniella again. That fear was very real now that there was the possibility of Daniella being caught by smugglers, that Leo could have vanished himself. She looked at the human's blood, still on her talons, brown and dried, from the night before. Luiz helpfully nudged a bucket towards her with his nose, slipping on his drool as he did. Bia murmured a thank-you, before sticking her talons into the water, and washing her feet clean.

"-me, Bia and Leo will be looking here, around the Copacabana beach." Azure ran his claw along the line indicating the beach on the map behind them. Bia felt a flash of relief. They were away from the rainforest, and she could keep an eye on Leo. "But we do need to sort out the smuggling problem." The mood sank.

"How d'ya think we gonna do that?" Pedro asked. "How can we stop it, man?"

"Maybe all we need to do is find one of these traps and bring them to your human amigos." Eva suggested. "They'll realize something's amiss, and sort it."

"That could work -" Nico piped up, but before he could finish, the phone began ringing for the fourth time that morning. Bia stared at it.

"You need to answer it at some point!" Rafael insisted. Bia nor Azure moved toward the phone.

"I've had enough!" Leo suddenly seized the device, and went flying up and out of the garage.

"Leo! Bring that back!" Bia raced after him, and Azure, with a sigh, followed while the others continued reading the map of Rio. Bia and Azure landed on the roof, looking for Leo - he was there, the phone propped toward them, resting on a brick. He had his claw held over the answer button, dark hazel eyes on his parents.

"Leo! We're not ready to -" Azure and Bia dived for the phone; too late. Leo hit 'answer' and leapt out of view of the phone, and then, Azure and Bia skidded to a stop as the screen came to life. They were greeted by the familiar sight of Carla and Bruno - Carla actually looked angry. Her green eyes burned with impatience, and her cerulean feathers were fluffed up.

"You're alive!" Carla exclaimed, in annoyance. "Where have you been? Do you know how worried we've been? It's been almost four days!" Next to her, Bruno mouthed an apology for Carla's greeting. Bia looked at Azure. He shook his head slightly, to show that he didn't intend on telling them the real reason. Carla and Bruno looked expectantly, awaiting an answer. Bia and Azure looked over the phone, where Leo was also waiting. He extended a wing, prompting them.

"There's been some bad weather recently." Bia said, reading one of his suggestions. "It... it knocked out the wifi." Leo rolled his eyes, before flying up to a washing line hung on the roof. He latched his claws onto a shirt sleeve, and began to bounce up and down.

"I thought wifi was for the internet -" Carla began, but Azure cut her off before she realized she was being lied to.

"Anyway! How are you both?" He asked, trying to divert the conversation. Carla frowned, but Bruno focused on the phone.

"We're great!" Bruno replied, his brown eyes warm, oblivious to what was going on in Rio. He didn't look angry, like Carla had a few moments ago - although now her face had softened again. "Really great, actually..." there was something different about the two of them; Carla especially seemed softer in appearance. "Everyone's fine. Isaac and Margaux have been in contact, Monica and Suzy are enjoying themselves in French Guiana, but they'll be home by next week. Everyone else is in the Pit, there's a game between us and the Blue-and-Golds..." The term 'Pit of Doom' had been gradually lost for it was no longer on bad terms. All games were friendly, for fun, now. A basketball-style game had even been introduced recently, with a small net made of vines.

"You usually love seeing the games." Bia said, wondering why her sister and brother-in-law weren't in the Pit instead. "Why are you at home?" The distinctive wall of Carla and Bruno's tree was in the background; one wall of their tree was a covered in white jasmine.

"We'll get to that." Carla said. "Where's our niece and nephew?" Bia and Azure went rigid, although Carla and Bruno didn't seem to notice.

"Uh... Leo and... Daniella... are playing with Rafael and Eva's new chicks." Azure lied, glancing at Leo who was still bouncing on the clothing line.

"They've had more?" Bruno asked, warily. He had been to Rio with Carla a few times too, and he had seen how mischievous the baby toucans could be. They had been especially interested in the Mohawk-like cluster of tall head feathers Bruno possessed, and he had returned home with a few missing.

"It's up to thirty two..." Bia said, and before the shocked pair could comment, she spoke. "Anyway, why were you calling?"

Carla and Bruno looked at each other, with excited smiles. Bia noticed how tightly they were holding wings as Carla looked at the screen. "Sis, Azure - we couldn't go to the Pit today because we had to keep an eye on something." Bruno looked at Carla, as if asking permission, and she nodded. Bruno then picked up the phone, and carefully angled it downwards. Carla stood back, allowing Bia and Azure to see the three white orbs nestled amongst the moss.

Bia and Azure stared at the screen; in the joy of that moment, they forgot the fact that Daniella was missing. "I can't believe this! Congratulations!" Azure exclaimed.

"Oh Carla, I'm so happy for you!" Bia felt tears, and she saw Carla brushing her emerald eyes, blinking rapidly, while Bruno wasn't attempting to hide his tears. He was grinning while crying, head on Carla's shoulder, both wings around her.

"We've waited for this for so long." Carla said, her voice thick with emotion. "After nothing happened for such a long time and you guys were having kids and not us, I was afraid that with what Mimi has..." Mimi had realized that she was infertile years ago; after several years and three relationships with no offspring, she had realized that it simply wasn't to be. Mimi wasn't too bothered by this - but while she had never been very maternal, Bia had heard how Mimi had been upset by her problems in the past. "...I was afraid I had the same problem, since it took so long. But... I guess not."

"This is wonderful!" Bia exclaimed, with joy.

"Tell Dani and Leo for us, please?" Bruno begged. "I can't wait to see them again. I hope you're enjoying yourselves, but we'd really like you to be home soon, everyone would..." there was the approaching sound of bird squawks.

"They're back - we'll talk later, bye! We haven't told them yet!" Then the screen went blank as Carla broke the connection.

Bia and Azure looked at one another. He smiled gently, as Bia blinked away her tears of happiness. Azure draped a wing around Bia, who briefly sank against his side. "This is it, Azure. We have to find Daniella - bring her home." Suddenly her despair lifted, and Bia felt a surge of determination. She inhaled, and stood up straight. "Come on. We're going to find Dani, and we're going to make the sanctuary safe again." With fresh hope, Bia and Azure called Leo and headed back into the garage, determined to fix all that was wrong.


	24. The new second leader

Emori rushed toward the bellowing of the conch, hearing Daniella following her, wings flapping hard. The pink ribbon in Emori's head feathers sailed out from behind her head as the breeze picked up too, and up ahead, she saw the flying silhouettes of the islanders heading for the meeting tree. There it was, looming up ahead, dotted with fire in hanging baskets or on torches even though it was still light. Birds flushed into it, for emergency meetings were never good. The last one had been shortly after Emori's birth, and the faint memory of that particular one haunted her.

Emori landed on the outskirts of the crowd. Daniella stayed by her side, intimidated by how many birds were crowded round the centre of the tree bowl. Unable to see, Emori and Daniella fluttered up to a slender branch above the crowd's heads. The Socorro dove, Anya, was standing in the center. The cinnamon-coloured bird looked frail and tired, and in pain; based by her twitching joints and look of discomfort she was being affected by her arthritis. But there was something so much more sorrowful about Anya this time. She looked more grey, her eyes dull with grief. The conch - a large, creamy and pink shell - rested by her side, although it was evident that she hadn't the strength to make call. Someone else must have done it.

"Thank you... for coming." Anya murmured, in a ghostly voice. The crowd leaned forward, to listen. "I'm... I'm afraid there has been some terrible news." Daniella perched next to Emori, wondering what could have been so terrible to make Anya look so frail and sorrowful.

"What happened?" Whispered Daniella.

"I don't know." Emori replied, in a hushed voice. "I think we're going to find out."

"As you all know... our beloved second-in-command, Eden, has been missing for days." The crowd whispered in unease at the mention of her name. Anya looked too tired to go on, but somehow she did. "But now... we know why. Lorac, Osei?" She looked through the crowd, who separated to let the Blue-Billed Currasow and Red-shouldered macaw through. Between them, a female macaw was being carried.

She was a Harlequin macaw - a cross between a Scarlet and a Blue-and-Gold. Daniella knew this because her grandmother Sophia had a friend named Victoria, a Catalina macaw, which was the result of a Green-Winged and a Blue-and-Gold. Victoria had explained to her that she had a Harlequin cousin, who looked similar but was more red-orange, than yellow-orange. But this Harlequin was dead. Her head hung, and claw marks covered her colourful body. Evidently, from how dirty she was, she had been dead for a few days. Daniella felt sick, and she had to look away. The crowd gasped in horror.

"Eden!" Wailed a few; some even cried.

"Not again!" Cried someone else. _Again? What do they mean, again?_ For some reason, a few birds had looked their way, and were glaring at Emori. Anya noticed this.

"Don't be ridiculous!" Anya spat, referencing a story Daniella didn't know. She said it fiercely, for she had always been protective of chicks. "Eden was found by Marcos in the Scar Grassland." Anya went on.

"That's the grassland divide that splits us and Kehua's territory. It's covered in long grass." Emori whispered, horrified eyes fixated on the dead Harlequin macaw. But Daniella had a question.

"Wait... if Eden was found in grassland, why isn't she covered in grass? I mean... she's covered in rainforest debris." Eden was. Her feathers were strewn with dusty bits of moss and rainforest leaf scraps, not one bit of grass. Emori frowned, and looked from Daniella to Eden. Daniella dared look back at Eden; the claw marks were very large, big enough to be Kehua's. She saw a smaller, clean cut on Eden's neck. That was odd...

"She is covered in claw marks we believe to be that of Kehua." A Cuban Red macaw moved from the shadows, to stand next to Anya. His pale green eyes were full of tears, but he stood strong and supported the frail Anya. "Eden must have... not been fast enough." He looked at Anya, but she didn't utter a word. Marcos spoke for her. "Eden was a... treasured member of our community. She was kind, bold, and she fought for what she believed in. She was a wonderful individual... and her legacy will be in our hearts, for all eternity."

"Marcos barely spoke to Eden. If anything he disliked her!" Emori hissed. Daniella blinked, and looked at Marcos. _I guess he's being polite about it._

"As you all know... with the death of a second-in-command... I must replace them." Anya said. The Socorro Dove looked through the crowd. The crowd seemed to shrink back from her searching gaze, for Eden was the third second-in-command in a row to meet a gruesome fate at Kehua's talons. But then she made a decision. "One of you has proved himself worthy to lead." The males shifted in the crowd. A few looked fearful, some hopeful; and one or two looked hungry for the role. "When I die... Marcos will lead you to prosperity." Then Anya moved to Eden's side, to grieve.

Countless birds moved forward to congratulate Marcos. But a few didn't - a few Scarlet macaws below them looked mortified. They whispered frantically, while many made a swift exit. _Scarlet macaws. Blue-and-golds. Amazons. They're all common._ Why did the common birds dislike Marcos? Daniella had observed him - he seemed so full of charisma, so bold and courageous, to her. Right now, he was looking genuinely surprised that he had been appointed co-leader. He was comforting Anya now.

"I won't let you down, Anya. Together, we will lead the island into a bright future." He vowed.

"I know you will, Marcos." Anya replied. "You indeed will." Then the Socorro Dove turned away, and the crowd split to let the elderly bird through. Gylfie, the Forest Owlet, hopped up to Anya, and supported her out. Daniella watched them go, before looking back at Marcos. He had moved away from Eden's body, and he was now whispering to Lorac and a Pink-Headed duck, glancing from Anya and Gylfie to Eden's body, which was now being taken away.

"This is terrible... Kehua did that to Eden?" No response. Daniella looked to her right, and was surprised to see that Emori had disappeared. "Emori, where'd you go?" Daniella then saw a flash of pink ribbon through the leaves, and went to it. Emori was sitting next to a torch, staring into the distance. "Emori?"

"This is awful." Emori whispered. Daniella sat next to the Chestnut-Fronted macaw.

"I... I'm sorry about Eden..."

"That's not it. I mean Marcos." Emori clarified.

"What's wrong with him being second leader?" Daniella asked, puzzled. "He seems so nice... the ideal one for the job."

"He's not nice." Emori murmured. "Believe me. You're rare. You don't know him like I do."

"Right - what's this rare and common business?" Daniella had been trying to figure out why common birds were sometimes treated as outsiders. She'd seen many ignored and turned away from. "Marcos discourages it..."

"When he's in a crowd, or in front of Anya, he will." Emori looked at Daniella. "But if he's got his pack of friends - Lorac, and that - he turns nasty. He's a liar." Emori picked up a water-filled coconut shell sitting beside them, and looked at her reflection. "As long as I can remember, I've been treated as an outcast for being a Chestnut-Fronted macaw. And it's Marcos' fault."

"How?"

"Because he hates common birds." Emori swirled the water in the shell. "He's a Cuban Red macaw. They're pretty much extinct as far as we know, except for him. When he was younger, he and his parents left Alegria, journeying to the mainland. But when they got there, he claims that a group of common birds attacked them. They mocked them for being almost extinct, for being weak. His parents were badly wounded - his mom died when her wounds got infected. By the time Marcos and his dad returned, his dad was mad from the grief of losing his mate. Before he died, he spread lots of horrible messages about common birds, and Marcos has added to it. He wants us out of here. There's now a prejudice surrounding birds like me because of him." Emori closed her eyes. "If Marcos leads, common birds will be treated like scum. We'll be exiled. What happened to his family was terrible, but it doesn't mean all common birds are like that." Emori's head sank to her wings. "I have to live with this."

Daniella suddenly understood why Emori was ignored. "I... I get it now. That's why no one likes you? Why those kids were bullying you the other day?"

"Partially." She replied. Daniella tilted her head.

"There's another reason, isn't there?" Daniella asked. "Your parents." Emori went rigid. Daniella had heard Emori's parents mentioned. Everytime, a look of disgust appeared on the speaker's face. She'd heard those kids call Emori's parents 'freaks', said that she had been 'abandoned.'

"I don't want to talk about it, Daniella." Emori whispered.

"Emori, if I just told me -"

"I don't want to talk about it!" Emori snapped, sharply, eyes blazing. Daniella winced at her tone.

"I'm sorry." She said. The anger on Emori's face faded.

"I shouldn't have snapped." Emori said. She hesitated; Daniella briefly wondered if Emori was going to talk about her parents, but she didn't. "I'm going home... I feel sick." Then Emori was gone, leaving Daniella on the branch. Sighing heavily, Daniella turned away. With a start, she realized that the tree bowl was empty.

Grief rested over the island like a cloud. As she passed through the trees, she noticed some birds sitting outside their hollows, looking miserable. _They must have loved Eden..._ Daniella felt a swell of pity. _Unless it's because of Marcos._ The miserable ones she just passed were Nanday parakeets after all, common birds.

"Let me help you with that." Daniella whirled round. Marcos was a few metres away, heading toward three young Glaucous macaws struggling to pull a basket of coconuts upwards with a vine. The Cuban Red macaw jumped onto the vine, and the basket shot upwards, coming to rest on a branch. The Glaucous kids looked happily at Marcos.

"Thanks, Marcos! You're the greatest!" Sqeauked the smallest.

"It's alright, kiddo." Marcos ruffled his head feathers. "I'm not the greatest, though - Anya has brought us this far."

"You're still great!" Insisted the eldest of the three. Marcos chuckled as the three little chicks headed up to the coconuts in the basket, turning away with a smile. Daniella peered through some wide leaves, observing the new second-in-command. _He seems so humble, a nice guy. Surely Emori must be mistaken?_ Daniella realized that she was beginning to follow Marcos. How could it be true? There he was, helping virtually anyone he encountered; as she followed the Cuban Red macaw, Daniella was beginning to believe Emori less.

She landed on a thin branch, for Marcos had halted. But she overestimated it's sturdiness. The twig snapped, and Daniella dropped to the ground. At this sound, Marcos turned around, and he was surprised to see her there. Daniella stiffened; but he smiled. "Hello, there. You're the Spix's macaw, aren't you? The rare one?"

"Uh... yeah." Daniella awkwardly got to her feet. _It's weird he said my species is rare..._ "Daniella."

"Ah, I believe we haven't been formally introduced. I'm Marcos." The Cuban Red macaw made his way over to her. His eyes, while piercing, were friendly. "I've heard so much about you. You got swept here by the storm, didn't you? I'm terribly sorry, but I'm sure you'll love it here among us." _He seems gracious._

"It's okay." Despite this gentlebirdly facade, something within Daniella told her not to tell Marcos that she and Emori planned on leaving. "I'm sorry about Eden." Marcos stiffened.

"It's alright. She will be remembered." Surprisingly he said no more about the dead Harlequin, despite him taking her place. Maybe it was time to learn more about him.

"So, Anya chose you?" She looked up at the Cuban Red macaw, remembering Emori's story. _He hates common birds? But he seems so nice..._

"Well, I can't imagine why." Marcos shrugged, looking relieved that Daniella didn't mention Eden. "I suppose I have been helping her out a lot. But it's only natural to help those around you, especially someone so fragile."

"Yeah... it is." Daniella wasn't sure what to make of Marcos, who was perhaps a little younger than her grandparents, who were in their twenties but still very young. She noticed the scars he had, how his right foot was missing the middle toe.

"I've run into Kehua one too many times." Marcos said, noticing her looking him up and down. _They're thin scars, for such a big eagle. They must be very old._ "You be careful on this island, Daniella. It can be dangerous. Allow me to escort you back to wherever you're staying." Marcos plucked a few berries off a bush, began eating some.

"No, it's fine! Emori's tree isn't far from here." As soon as she said Emori's name, Marcos choked on the berry he was eating.

"You're staying with Emori?" Marcos asked, staring at her.

"Yes. Problem?" Daniella asked, frowning at his reaction. Marcos looked angry, almost afraid - but then it drastically went neutral.

"Of course not." The Cuban Red macaw insisted, smoothly. "Go on. I don't want to be keeping you from her." He turned, and went to fly off, but he looked over his shoulder. "Choose your friends carefully." He said, in an edgy voice. Daniella watched him fly away, confused - and rather unsettled. Suddenly her confidence in Marcos' personality slipped. He was a strange bird.


	25. A turn of personality

"Right." Emori yawned, cheek propped on a wing. "Try again..." Emori had hardly slept last night, and neither had Daniella. Daniella was more alert, since she had eaten a sugary fruit earlier that had perked her up, while Emori had declined food. Daniella thought that Emori was worried about something, since she had been very distracted throughout the lesson.

"Emori!" Daniella said, loudly, for Emori's eyelids had slid shut again.

"...and try wade deeper this time..." Emori jolted awake.

This was the second lesson on conquering her fear, but Daniella was hardly being taught anything. _She's doing it again._ Daniella watched Emori's head sink, her eyes close. "Emori?" She tried, but Emori didn't respond this time. _Maybe I should let her get some rest._ So Daniella refocused on the pond, and this time, she touched the surface without hesitation. She felt a glow of pride.

Daringly, Daniella waded further in. The water swished around her lower belly, but she didn't dare go further, despite the vine attached to her ankle. The pride dissipated. _Don't put yourself down. You've come so far!_ Daniella was beginning to fear it less and less. Water was less dark and scary than before, and she was beginning to forget the Hyacinth and two Red-bellied chicks.

Daniella heard a mutter, and glanced over her shoulder. Emori always talked in her sleep, and it frankly concerned her. Emori was shaking, mumbling. Suddenly she was drawn to Emori. Stepping out of the pond, she crept forwards to try and listen. But they were inaudible.

 _Emori was held in a pair of talons. Blood oozed from a stub that had been the middle toe of the right foot, and more blood was streaked over the talons. "Marcos, give her to me! You're covered in blood, you'll scare her!" Emori was crying for her parents. She was so young, so confused - her feathers were downy, her mind not understanding, but she could smell the metallic tang of blood._

 _"Hush, little one!" She was now being carried by the sun parakeet, Melodia. "Be calm." Emori was too little to understand. All she understood was her father lying eerily still, her mother crying, and the pink ribbon gripped in her little claws. "She's still got Costia's ribbon..."_

 _"Take it off her!" Hissed a female voice, a friend of Marcos._

 _"She's a baby, you can't destroy her only piece of family!" Gylfie._

 _"Wh-where's my mom?" Emori begged, stammering for she was so young; her mother was all she really remembered. She felt Melodia go stiff._

 _"I'm so sorry, dear child..."_

Emori suddenly woke with a sharp draw of breath. Daniella leapt back to the pond side, hiding the fact that she had been listening, even though she hadn't been able to figure out what Emori had been dreaming of. Emori shook her head, and looked at Daniella. She reached behind her head, ensuring that the ribbon was still there. "Sorry, did I drift off?" Emori asked, quietly.

"A bit." Daniella replied, looking at Emori carefully.

"Sorry." Emori muttered. She got up, and moved past Daniella, plunging her face into the pond to revitalize herself. Daniella looked at the pink ribbon tying Emori's head feathers into a spiky bunch. Curiosity refused to sink back down.

"So... where _did_ you get the ribbon?" Daniella asked. Emori paused in adjusting the pink silk. "I wouldn't normally ask. But it's a human object, and we're so far from any civilization." That had been one of the first questions she had asked the Chestnut-Fronted macaw, without an answer. Emori was quite still for a few moments.

"It... it was my mom's." She admitted, not making eye contact.

"Really?" Daniella tilted her head. "What... what was her name?"

"Costia." Emori murmured. Daniella wanted to ask more.

"That's a lovely name." She said, hoping to comfort Emori. "What about your dad?"

"Try put your head under the surface." Emori said, looking at her wing-tips, showing she was in no mood to talk. _I'm not getting anywhere with her._ Daniella went back into the water in annoyance. Would she ever know something about Emori's background? She'd told Emori all about hers...

Daniella's foot then snagged on a root, and she tripped. The water surrounded her, closing all around. She floated there, briefly frozen, for she hadn't been completely immersed since being pushed into that river. Her heart thudded with panic., for she was sinking, down to the deeper part of the pond. _I'm drowning!_ She floundered about, but then she felt the vine tug on her leg. With a jolt, she remembered. _Calm down! What would Emori do? She'd grab the vine and pull herself to safety!_

Daniella flipped round, and grabbed the vine with her wings, beginning to pull her way up it. She held her breath, tried to fight the feeling of fear; she felt the amethyst on her neck hit against her chest. _Mom said it encourages bravery.._. She pulled herself up, to the reeds the vine moved through. Getting a grip on the thick reeds, Daniella hauled herself to the surface. She broke it with a gasp, soaked to the skin, head feathers covering her vision. She clung to a reed, breathing deeply. _That was so close! That was terrifying..._

 _But I didn't panic._ The realization came in. Daniella pushed back her soaked coal-black head feathers, trying not to laugh. The pride swelled, and this time, it didn't go away. She had the most wonderful and joyous smile, for she was so happy. The water felt unpleasant - but it was more bearable. This was the first time she hadn't freaked out. "Emori, did you see -" but then the reeds shook as a bird passed overhead. Instinctively, Daniella ducked down; as she often did, she assumed the worst. She peered through the reeds, hiding herself. Luckily, it wasn't Kehua. _It's... Marcos?_

The Cuban Red macaw landed on the bank, silently, so Emori didn't hear him land. She sat with her back to him, gazing into the ferns. "Hello, Emori." He said, coolly. Emori jumped as if she'd been electrocuted. She whirled round, to see Marcos looming over her. Daniella sank down into the reeds; why did Marcos suddenly look intimidating? Yesterday, he had looked so friendly. He had been charming and kind to her - to anyone. But now, his pale green eyes were like ice, full of... resent. His feathers were bushed slightly, to show his dislike. Daniella frowned, skin crawling with unease. She sank further into the reeds.

"What are you doing here, Marcos?" Emori was desperately looking for Daniella. She had been less afraid of Marcos before. But now that he was the second most powerful bird on the island, she was a bit more afraid. The desperation to leave the island had intensified - although, she still wasn't terrified of him.

"Making sure you're not stirring up trouble." _That's not why Marcos is here, surely..._

"Why would I be?" Emori bristled.

"Yesterday, I happened to hear that you've become acquainted with Daniella." Marcos' icy gaze hardened, and Daniella stiffened at the mention of her name. Had she done something wrong? Had she insulted him?

"What's it to you?" Emori picked up half a coconut shell Daniella had left from breakfast.

"You're going to do me a favour. You're going to stop talking to her." Daniella froze. She stared at Marcos, shocked that he was capable of suggesting such a thing when he was so kind to her yesterday. _What's wrong with him? What problem does he have with her and me interacting? It's nothing to do with him!_ Daniella looked at Emori, wondering how she would react.

"Yeah, I'll do that." Emori rolled her eyes; she showed no fear. Marcos glared at the chick in annoyance.

"I don't have time for your sarcasm, Emori."

"Mm, or the time to find something useful to do with your life. But that's none of my business." Emori filled the empty coconut shell with water, and sipped from it to show her disinterest. Marcos stared at the little Chestnut-Fronted macaw for being so outspoken, so fearless. "Go away, Marcos. Go pick some coconuts for some rare species' kid, to make you look good in front of Anya." Nothing could have prepared Daniella - or even Emori - for what happened next. Marcos seized the coconut shell off Emori and tossed it away with such force it cracked - then he plucked her off the ground, bringing her close to his face. Daniella could tell that he was holding Emori brutally tight, for she cried out in pain.

"Put me down, right now!" Emori screeched; she floundered in his grasp, for his claws dug into her sides.

"What are you doing? Let her go!" Daniella came rushing from the reeds, and Marcos looked around in shock. Using his distraction, Emori sank her beak into Marcos' wing, and he dropped her with a hiss. Emori scrambled away, to Daniella's side - she had bitten so hard, she had drawn blood.

"This is a simple misunderstanding." Marcos instantly turned warm and friendly, despite the blood trickling down the purple-blue part of his wing. "Daniella, I was simply -"

"I know what you were doing! You were hurting Emori because her species isn't threatened like yours!" Next to her, the blood drained from Emori's green and brown face when Marcos' gaze on her turned poisonous; his secret had been revealed to an outsider. Looking at Daniella, his face was full of confusion so convincing, Daniella would have believed it had she not known his hatred for common birds.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He said, but then he realized he couldn't hide it from Daniella. The confusion faded to anger. "I was simply trying to protect your interests!"

"My interests? More like yours!" Daniella didn't know where this boldness was coming from. "Where I'm from, however rare our species is, it doesn't matter!" Daniella backed away, for the look in his eyes was starting to scare her.

"Well, you're not there anymore. You're stuck here."

"Not for much longer." Emori muttered, out of Marcos' hearing range. By now, Marcos had given up being nice.

"You'd better stay out of my way." He warned. "I'm second-in-command now. I can do what I like." His chest puffed with pride at this fact.

"Just because you're second-in-command doesn't mean you're all-powerful. We can tell Anya." Daniella winced when Marcos laughed.

"She'd never believe you." Marcos narrowed his eyes, before turning to go. Before he did, he looked over his shoulder. "Too bad. I was starting to like you, Daniella. Both of you, stay out of my way and I'll stay out of yours." Then the Cuban Red macaw whisked away before Daniella and Emori could blink. Emori exhaled in relief, sitting down and rubbing her wings, where Marcos had held her.

"He's never done that to me before." Emori looked genuinely shocked. "I... I guess he's full of himself now." She wiped her beak, and Marcos' blood wiped onto her wing. Daniella stared at Emori, and where Marcos had disappeared through the ferns.

"Surely your species can't be the only reason he hates you! That was... unbearable!" There was another reason. Even Emori didn't know it.

"I don't even know!" Emori insisted. "He just hates me! It's almost as if... he's afraid of me."

"What makes you say that?" Daniella asked, confused. What threat was Emori to Marcos?"

"When I was really little... Melodia raised me. I seem to remember Marcos always hanging around, asking her if I'd said anything about remembering..." Emori didn't say that part. "...whenever I talk about my childhood, he just seems uneasy." Daniella looked through the trees, wondering if she could still see him, but Marcos was long gone. "He's hiding something. I just don't know what..."

"Why don't you try to find out?" Daniella asked. Emori's yellow and blue eyes widened.

"Are you kidding me? I'm not hanging around that weirdo."

"You're not the tiniest bit... curious?"

"Of course I'm curious. But I don't want to risk anything." Emori said, stubbornly. She then noticed that Daniella was completely soaked. "What did I miss?"

"Oh, I just..." Daniella barely heard Emori's voice. She _was_ curious. She wanted to find out more about Marcos - there was something about him that made her skin crawl, especially now that she'd seen how he turned on birds like Emori, when he had been so charming yesterday. What sort of future would a leader like Marcos bring to the island, when he encouraged the mockery - and discrimination - of species more fortunate than his own?

 _Rio_

"So this is how they've been getting in? Damn." Nico looked at the tear in the fence. Luiz had dragged them all over the sanctuary, trying to get a human scent all morning - until now, any human scent the bulldog detected led to Linda and Tulio's cottage, or to one of the tourist paths. But once they'd found the spot Leo had been caught in, Luiz had finally traced the scent of smuggler to the sanctuary fence - a low-electric fence that was meant to deter smugglers from getting in. But the three wires here had been deliberately cut. Normally, they would give a low current that was non-fatal to both humans and animals, but still painful.

"I dunno how it works." Luiz shook himself, sending drool flying all over the place.

"Ew!" Leo winced, and Bia wrapped a wing around him to shield him from the drool. She looked anxiously at Azure; the joy brought from Carla and Bruno's good news had sunk somewhat as they'd gone about tackling the task.

"Maybe it's best if Leo and I have a look for Daniella." Bia said, with discomfort; after Leo had been caught she'd been more protective than before.

"We'll split. Half of us will search, and the other half will try to deal with this." Azure wrapped a wing around Bia's head, pulling her closer to kiss her cheek. "You and Leo should look along the Copacabana, with..."

"I'll go with them." Eva said.

"Count me in." Nico added. That left Azure, Eva, Pedro, and Luiz, as well as Mia, since Luiz couldn't move through the forest like they could. Once they'd bid goodbye and Bia, Eva, Nico and Leo had moved away towards the city, Azure, Eva, Pedro, Mia and Luiz turned to tackle the task.

"Couldn't we just reattach it?" Azure asked.

"Electricity doesn't work that way." Mia said. The white canary had been raised close to humans, so she, like Blu and Bia, was very familiar with how electricity worked. "The wires have all been snapped to break the current. It needs a specialist human to fix it... but even then, it could be broken again. Maybe your human friends need to invest in a new fence." Mia reminded Azure of Bia - she knew her stuff. Even their names rhymed - shortened, obviously, for Mia's full name was Miaroma.

"Well, we're gonna have to show them it first to get results!" Pedro reminded her.

"I don't think they'll like stumbling through rainforest to see a fence. They have a toddler, remember?" Azure remembered seeing Emma out in the 'front garden' of the cottage, playing with her mother.

"Let's try find a trap." Rafael suggested. "If we bring it to the human nest, they'll realize something's amiss." Azure looked into the rainforest. _I guarentee now that we want to find a trap we won't find one._

"I'll try and sniff for traps!" Luiz said, confidently; but as soon as he disappeared into the ferns, he came trailing back. "But I don't know what they smell like." He grumbled.

"Well, Luiz, you can be our eyes on the ground." Mia said, comfortingly.


	26. Let me in

"Just pull!"

"I am pulling, you're pulling it the other way!" Daniella protested, at the other end of the vine.

"I'm not pulling!" Emori insisted. "I'm just holding it!" Daniella didn't understand how the vine baskets worked, but Marcos had practically ordered them to pick fruit for Anya - after they'd ruined his mood. No wonder why he'd made them go out specifically for the heaviest fruit on the island, a large, round fruit Daniella didn't recognize that they'd find difficult to carry. She understood the 'heft' part of the name, but not 'berry' - berries were small and light. Heftberries were as big as coconuts, and much heavier.

"Then why isn't it moving?" Daniella asked, in frustration.

"Because Marcos is an idiot who has no regards for safety?" Emori said, innocently. "We're high on his hate list now. In theory this could be highly dangerous - it's too heavy for us to lift!"

"There we go, then. We'll have to say that and get Anya something else." Daniella let go of the vine, without thinking.

"Woah woah woah -" Emori shouted, high above. _"- Daniella...!"_ Daniella whirled round, and saw the basket of fruit plunging down, with Emori still clinging onto the vine.

"Oh, no!" Daniella tried to seize the vine, but it had flipped up into the tree canopy. She leapt aside as the fruits came crashing down; the nearest one landed with a splat, showering her in juice drops. Emori soon followed, landing on a fruit that had remained intact, before bouncing onto the ground at Daniella's feet. She stared down at Emori in guilt. Emori slowly looked up from where she was sprawled on the ground, blowing the pink ribbon out of her eyes. She gave Daniella an unimpressed look. "Uh... sorry?" Daniella smiled weakly. But Emori didn't seem angry. She was grinning.

"You're so dead." Emori jumped at Daniella, bowling her over. Daniella giggled, swiping playfully at Emori. She had only ever play-fighted with Leo, since she had been too shy to play with any other chick before - that seemed so long ago. Now she didn't hesitate in evading and 'attacking' Emori. As they tussled, Daniella realized how strong Emori was compared to herself - Emori easily had the upper wing. Maybe her strength came from how much swimming she did, and how she pulled the heavy vine baskets without much trouble. Daniella had also noticed this on many of the other islanders. Maybe their odd lifestyle had it's advantages, even though she'd noticed that Emori was the strongest chick she'd encountered.

"You're strong, aren't you?" Daniella said, struggling to push Emori away.

"Well, since I've always lived alone, I've had to do everything for myself." Emori leapt backwards, too happy to care at the underlying sorrow at this fact. She'd never had a real friend to play with, not really. "The other kids have everything done for them... hard work comes later. But I've had to do more than they normally would since I've had no help. I mean, Melodia isn't the best at raising kids." Daniella recalled how Melodia had cared for Emori when she was incapable of doing it herself, being far too young and flightless.

"That's a good thing... it's also a bit..."

"Sad? I know." Emori looked at her talons.

"That's not what I was going to say..."

"Hey! Anya's waiting!" Lorac shouted, on an above branch. "Stop messing around." Daniella glared upwards, as did Emori. Now that Daniella had seen Marcos' true colours, she now had a dislike for the Blue-Billed Currasow, who she frequently saw hanging around Marcos. Earlier on, Emori had taken Daniella to see what Marcos was like around common birds - he and Lorac had been ordering around a Plumbeous pigeon, a common species Daniella had seen a lot of in the human cities they'd passed on their way to Rio. Not only had Marcos and Lorac been ordering the pigeon around, but they had also been making some cruel remarks while they did. Unfortunately they'd been too close, and Marcos had spotted them. He'd immediately ordered them away, to collect the specifically heavy fruit for Anya.

"Forget this. I'm not breaking my wings carrying one of those." Emori glared at the fruit. Lorac was looking nonchalantly into the trees; why didn't he help them? _I wonder why,_ Daniella thought, sarcastically. "Come on. We'll grab some smaller berries." With that, they grabbed a woven basket, and slipped away from Lorac's supervision. Daniella and Emori wondered through the forest, looking for fruit Anya would like.

"How about these?" Daniella looked at some bright purple berries she didn't recognize; they were very small and round, a bit like a blueberry.

"Perfect. She loves those." Emori said. They began filling the basket, and once they had, they both grabbed the handle. "Ready? Lift." Daniella and Emori carried the basket through the air, much less back-breaking than carrying the fruit Marcos had specifically ordered them to get. The berries rolled around in the basket, as they flew towards the grove where most of the residents nested, but Emori didn't. Emori refused to live with the other islanders, out of fear of rejection. _She really doesn't belong here._

They entered the grove of trees. Birds flew across their path, underneath and overhead. Many they passed smiled at them; the Forest Owlet, Gylfie, was helping the Plumbeous pigeon they'd seen Marcos and Lorac pushing around. Melodia was plucking the odd smelling leaves she ate from her tree, while some kids oggled at a story some elderly birds were telling them about Kehua.

"-he has never found our grove, so don't worry about him ambushing us!" An elderly Kakapo said; Daniella briefly wondered how a flightless bird had gotten up the tree, before seeing a vine basket next to him. "If he ever comes close, we go out to throw him off the trail."

"Haven't you ever thought about getting rid of him?" Asked a young Passenger pigeon, eagerly.

"Us, against Kehua?" Another elderly bird looked shocked at the very suggestion. "We wouldn't stand a chance." Daniella thought about this. _What if they attacked together? There's so many birds here... surely, if they all attacked at once..._

"Daniella, we're here." Emori's voice brought her out of her thoughts. Up ahead, Anya's tree rose, the largest of the lot. Apparently every appointed leader was supposed to live there. Anya, having been leader since the beginning, had dwelled in it all her life, and no new leader had moved in yet. _I guess it'll be Marcos' soon._ It was certainly one of the nicest trees of the bunch - covered in gorgeous purple flowers similar to those of Tiago and Orchid's tree, except theirs were yellow. The branches extended widely, like wings stretching toward the sky. Vines hung from the branches, and it was there that Daniella saw the vines stretching from Anya's tree to several other trees, with vine baskets. Anya was frail and arthritic; maybe sometimes she wasn't strong enough to fly.

Anya was perched on a branch, speaking to Marcos, of all birds. Emori glanced at Daniella. "Watch this." She muttered. Marcos spotted them from where he was talking, nodding their way. Seeing this, Anya turned. The Socorro dove smiled at the sight of them. Unlike Marcos, she looked happy to see them.

"Hello, you two." She greeted, warmly. "You've even gotten me some fruit... I did say Emilo, Marcos, not Emori..."

"Oh, did you? Sorry, Anya." Marcos sounded genuinely sorry. "Sorry to you two, as well, for causing such trouble." When Anya looked from him to the two chicks, he was smiling warmly, yet when she turned away, his smile vanished. _He's like a chameleon! No wonder everyone trusts him!_ "I'll be right back, Anya. Lorac wanted to speak to me." _No he didn't. He's out in the forest. You just want to get away from us._

"Why on earth did she pick him?" Daniella whispered, in exasperation.

"Thank you." Anya blinked trustingly, before turning to Emori and Daniella. "I would have gotten myself some food, but my joints are just causing me such pain." Anya winced as she moved her shoulders; looking around Anya, Daniella saw Marcos flash across the grove.

"Isn't there something Melodia could give you, Anya?" Daniella asked, for the sun parakeet was the island alternative of a tribe healer. She wondered why Anya hadn't retired; clearly, she was exhausted. _Maybe she's been leader for so long she can't bring herself to give up._

"She does have a special plant. But she's rather busy." Anya sighed. "I'll just eat something first." She moved towards the vine basket.

"Marcos made us go after heftberries." Emori said, in annoyance. "Apparently you love them..."

"Did he?" Anya blinked in surprise, and then fear. "I'm allergic to those!" Daniella too blinked.

"You are? How allergic?" Allergies were rare but not unheard of back home. Daniella was sure Angelo was allergic to camu camu fruit, because every time he ate one, he seemed sickly the next day. He seemed to realize it didn't agree with him, and he generally avoided them now.

"At least I think I'm allergic. The last time I had one was when we first arrived here, years ago. I had a fever for days - I almost died!" Anya looked cautiously in the bowl, as if looking for the fruit. Daniella looked at Emori in shock, and she stared back. "I suppose anyone could make a mistake." Anya said, eventually.

"What - are you serious?" Daniella stared. "Are you telling me that..."

"It was long ago. Marcos wasn't even born when I had my reaction."

"But Anya -" Emori began.

"It's alright. Be on your way, girls." Anya then turned away, dropping the moss curtain that cloaked the entrance in their faces. Daniella looked at Emori. _Is everyone blind here? Didn't Anya see the danger a little mistake like that could have had? If eating one of those heavy things before almost killed her when she was young and strong, what would it do to her now, when she's old and frail? Marcos is such an idiot, why would he make us specifically go after such a fruit that could potentially kill her?_

 _He couldn't have known. Surely._ Daniella felt a gaze bore into her back. She didn't need to turn around to know that it was Marcos staring. She turned to look, and saw that he was watching the moss curtain with frustration. A cold wind blew, and she nervously flattened her feathers. "Daniella. Are you a bit... suspicious?" When Daniella turned to look at Emori, she realized that the Chestnut-Fronted macaw's feathers were fluffed up. "Marcos made us go specifically after a fruit that could have killed Anya... it's a bit strange."

"You're not the only one who thinks that." Daniella muttered. The two girls looked at one another. Marcos then realized he was being watched.

"Emori!" He barked. "Go and help Leia." A female bird with two bunches of feathers on the sides of her head was trying to lift a basket with a vine with little success. Emori looked at Daniella in annoyance.

"Lucky me." She remarked, before flying over to Leia, who gratefully accepted her help. Daniella then saw Marcos headed her way, and she briefly froze. But then, for some reason, she whirled round, and made a break for it, fleeing the grove. She was scared of the Cuban Red macaw, even more so than before. He was calling her name, but she didn't slow down until she reached a clearing in the trees. He was right behind her; Daniella looked around in panic.

Marcos flew into the clearing, looking around, green gaze scanning his surroundings, but he failed to spot Daniella. He muttered under his breath in frustration, before concluding that she had gone. "Marcos!" Called a voice. The Pink-Headed duck, Taj, appeared. "We still meeting? Lorac and Indra are waiting." Marcos looked around once more, with narrowed eyes.

"We are. I just..."

"What's wrong?" Taj asked.

"It's that Daniella kid." Marcos muttered. Taj tilted his pink head. "The Spix's macaw chick. She's not all. It's Emori, as well." He especially said Emori's name with scorn.

"What's with them both?" The Pink-Headed duck narrowed his eyes. "Do you think they suspect?"

"I don't know, but I don't like it. Daniella knows that we hate common birds, and I think she's nosy." Marcos hissed. "I don't like her staring, hanging about."

"She's a kid. Kids are nosy." Taj said, calmly. "And stupid too. As if they'll figure it out." The Pink-Headed duck then turned, disappearing through the vines. Marcos looked around once more. "Marcos? Come on!" Marcos slowly looked around, before following with reluctance. For a moment, it was quiet, but then a palm leaf moved. Daniella peered out from underneath, heart thudding. _I'm not stupid._ That was her initial thought - but then she replayed the scene in her mind. _Suspect what? Figure what out?_

Daniella leaned back against the branch, running a wing through her head feathers. _Something's wrong here. What is Marcos plotting?_ She watched the space where Marcos and Taj had been. _Emori couldn't bring herself to find out what they're planning. But I have to know..._ Maybe she was crazy - but knowing the tough-as-claws Emori had changed her. Maybe she could be brave enough to do what Emori never could...

 _You're pathetic, remember? Scared of everything. It's probably nothing anyway._ Yet there was still a gnawing in her stomach. _Can Anya really leave someone as shifty as Marcos to lead?_

Meanwhile, Emori finished helping Leia, but when she turned around, Daniella had gone. She sighed. _"Abandoned."_ whispered a voice. She went cold. "Just like how your parents left you to die." Emori whipped round; the Hawaiian Crow, Ash, sneered in her face. The ringleader of the group who had bullied her whenever they could, until Daniella had stopped them. Since then, she hadn't heard a word, until now. Slowly, she turned, and flew out of the grove. But she knew Ash was following her.

"I wasn't abandoned." Hissed Emori, quietly.

"That's not what Marcos says." Ash replied.

"You can't believe a word that comes out of his lying mouth." Emori tried to quench the flame in her chest. But it continued to blaze, growing and growing.

"Well, it's a good thing that Kehua killed them, isn't it?" The Hawaiian crow sneered. Emori stopped, shaking with anger. "Then they wouldn't be killing anyone else -"

"Enough!" Emori screamed, in rage. Her temper completely blew, and she whirled to face Ash, feathers making her appear twice as large despite her little stature. "They never killed anyone, and they didn't abandon me, either!" Ash's face lit up with glee. He loved pushing buttons.

"Marcos says they were killers. They were -"

"Lies!" Emori screeched, so loud her lungs rang. "I've had enough of you, and everything on this stupid island!" She leapt at Ash, claws outstretched, knocking him off his feet - Ash was shocked, but he loved every moment of her anger and frustration. They went crashing through the tree canopy, a whirlwind of green, brown and black and white feathers. They screamed at each other, and in the palm tree, Daniella recognized Emori's voice.

"Emori?" Daniella looked up.

Emori and Ash crashed to the forest floor, after plummeting from the canopy. Their voices echoed, but they were too far from the grove to be heard by the adults. As they fought, Ash continued to gloat, only angering Emori further - then they both lost their tempers, and Ash realized he had underestimated her. A tiny drop of blood hit an overhanging leaf. Three thin lines carved into Emori's side; in retaliation, she made her mark on Ash's chest.

"My whole life, you've mocked me for being common, for what they say happened! They don't know what really happened - I don't remember, but I know it! They didn't abandon me, and they didn't do it!" She and Ash knew what 'it' was.

"Of course they did it! Who else?" Ash dodged a swipe of her claws. "Why did you have to be born here, of all places? Nobody likes you!"

"I didn't ask to be born on this island, in the middle of the sea, where everyone is too afraid to leave! It may be called Alegria, but there's no happiness here, not to me! It may be beautiful, but underneath, it's ugly!" Emori had been bottling everything up for far too long. "This island is a lie. I've spent my life lost in a so-called paradise! Life isn't fair here - if your species is dead to the world, you're automatically celebrated, loved, trusted. But if you're more fortunate, you're treated like dirt! Species makes no difference, it's who you are on the inside that matters!"

"Are you crying?" Ash ignored her words, sneering. Emori was. The tears spilled uncontrollably.

"Why do I bother?" Emori cried out. "I should have left from the moment I knew how to fly!"

"Newsflash, you're stuck here! You'll have to stay here forever, like us -"

"I'd rather _die_ than be like any of you!" Emori screeched.

 _"Emori!"_ Daniella came flying from the tree canopy, finally reacting after watching them fight. She fought her way between the struggling Emori and Ash. "Stop it!" In the heat of the struggle, the line blurred between Daniella and Emori. Suddenly Ash was attacking Daniella. She leapt back, but he followed, slashing his claws. For the first time in her life, she fought back; Daniella sank her beak into his wing. Ash tried to fight back, but then Daniella shoved him away, so he sprawled onto the ground. Seeing he was outnumbered, Ash finally gave up. The Hawaiian crow backed away, breathing heavily.

"I'm telling Marcos what you did to me, he'll sort you out, unlike Anya! Both of you!" Ash's angry glare turned to Daniella. "You made a big mistake befriending her. She's a freak!" Then the Hawaiian crow was gone. With a flash of black and white, Ash vanished into the evening.

Emori viciously kicked a rock. "No one listens to me!" She wailed. "I'm judged for what my parents did, for what I am! No one accepts me for who I am on the inside! I'm sick of it!" Daniella watched Emori in horror. She had heard enough of the screaming to hear Emori's parents mentioned. Emori was running around in tears, having a meltdown.

"I accept you!" Daniella exclaimed. She ran up to Emori, hugging her. Emori resisted initially; but then she broke down in tears. She crumpled against Daniella, the anger, the upset, making her shake. "Tell me what happened." Daniella said. "What happened to you before I knew you. I have to know."

"I can't."

"I want to help you, Emori. But I can't if you don't talk to me." Daniella looked at her friend's face. That was the first time she'd referred to Emori as her friend. Her lavender eyes were full of desperation. "Please. Let me help you." There was a tortuous silence. She was frightened that Emori would scream at her, like how she had at Ash. But then Emori, with a heavy heart, prepared to tear down the wall she had built around her past.

"Alright." Emori murmured.


	27. Friendship

"I have nightmares about what could have happened all the time. You don't know what it's like, being afraid to shut your eyes." Emori watched the tide roll in. The waves travelled gently, a whisper on the shore. The beach was her favourite part of the island. It was rarely visited by any of the islanders, unless they were specifically adapted for life on the coast. If this were the case, the rare seabirds had kept to the coast or had flown on, never venturing into the rainforest part of the island. They rarely made contact with the rest - they had seen Emori probably more times than the rest of the islanders combined. Up above, they soared on the evening air, watching the two rainforest birds in curiosity.

The pale blue sea was strangely quiet. There was the rustle of waves meeting the sand and rushing up it, but even the outer sea was calm, despite the darker clouds beginning to head their way. The tang of salt hung in the breeze, and it ruffled their feathers. A few little crabs no larger than a grape wandered between the rolling waves, in and out; any crab that was tossed upside down by the tide, Daniella would pause to push it back. They even passed a starfish stranded on a rock; naturally, they worked together to return it to the ocean.

Emori and Daniella walked along the sand, side by side. Emori didn't care when the waves washed over her feet, although Daniella would occasionally veer away, for the water still unsettled her somewhat. Nobody heard Emori's voice except Daniella and the waves. "I was born on this island. My parents were called Costia and Embry. I don't know much about them, Daniella. I can barely remember, I was so little when it happened. All I know is from fragments of my memories, from what the islanders have told me. Gylfie knew them well. The Forest Owlet. She befriended my parents the day they arrived."

"Mom and dad never said where they came from originally. They ended up on a boat - Gylfie couldn't remember how. But they got out, and saw the island, so they came in. Anya welcomed them with open wings. Most everyone did - the second leader at the time, Corey, got on real well with them. Remember that." Daniella wasn't sure why she'd have to remember this seemingly minor fact, but she did anyway.

"I'll remember."

"Mom and dad wanted to go home, but... no one knew a way. And then they couldn't leave, because I was born."

"And... then?" Emori hadn't spoken for several moments.

"Apparently they took one look... and decided they didn't want me. At least, that's how the mean kids put it." Emori brushed a wing under her eyes. "But then... Melodia says they adored me. The kids just say that to be cruel. Not long after my birth... Corey turned up dead." She began to shake slightly. This would be difficult. "I overheard the elderly kakapo talking about it - Gylfie didn't tell me the full details. She thought it was too scary to tell me, but I eavesdropped."

"Corey was found dead at the foot of my parents' tree, and dad returned to the grove covered in blood. Corey had the feathers of a Chestnut-Fronted macaw in his talons. So... Marcos, and most of the islanders... aimed the blame at my dad." Emori looked into the tropical bushes lining the treeline. "That's why I didn't like him initially. Marcos pointed out all the evidence - he was so sure Embry killed him. Of course everyone believed him. I mean, who would question our intelligent and courageous hero?" She said this phrase with malice.

"Dad swore he didn't do it. He said he was framed, that the blood was from being attacked by something drenched in mud. But nobody believed him. Gylfie was one of the few to defend him, as well as Melodia. Anya was so distressed, Corey was like a son to her. So... she exiled my father. But he swore he'd prove his innocence. Then he and my mother fled, with me. Not long after, I was found, dumped, in the rainforest."

"Marcos and a patrol found me. My mother's body was found not far from me. My dad's was found not far away. Apparently someone witnessed the whole thing... Kehua killed them both. But I don't know who the witness was."

"Emori, I..." Daniella didn't know what to say. She wanted to say that she was sorry, but then... Embry had killed Corey. Emori was the daughter of a killer? Could she believe that?

"No, no. This is where it gets strange." Emori suddenly stopped. A baby turtle was floundering in a rock pool, a few feet away. She went to the pool, scooped out the little turtle, and placed it a few inches from the wave line. The turtle then shuffled into the sea, disappearing into the waves. "A few things don't add up. This is why I have trust issues."

"What doesn't add up, then?" Daniella stood on the sand, very still. Emori faced the ocean, the sun, which was sinking, before she turned around, yellow and blue glazed with pain.

"Dad had absolutely no reason to kill Corey. There was nothing in it for him. Everyone says they were friends! The evidence pointed at him, but there was no warrant in killing Corey! None, I tell you! And there's one more thing." Emori pulled the ribbon from her head feathers. It fluttered on the sea breeze. "I have one memory... or dream, I'm not sure... of my mother."

Emori tied the ribbon back, pulling the head feathers into their spiky bunch. "She was... terrified, desperate. She hid me in something, and then she was shouting at someone. I can't remember what she was saying, but then she... she was gone." Daniella closed her eyes. "I can't remember the other bird." Emori said, gazing into the sea. "I got a glimpse of it. Him, her, whatever, that was chasing us. It's too blurry to remember, but something tells me that it wasn't Kehua, even though everyone says it was him."

"But... who else would have done it?" Daniella asked, thunderstruck by the whole story. "If not him..."

"I don't know, Daniella. But I just know it wasn't..."

"But how can you be sure that -"

"I just know, okay?" Emori turned to face Daniella. "I know Kehua didn't kill them. He may be viscous, but he doesn't kill without eating who he catches. He wouldn't just leave their bodies in the woods to rot... and I'm sure whoever it was, they were far too small to be him."

"I..." Daniella didn't know what to think, or believe. She couldn't get her head around it. _What is Emori saying? If Kehua didn't kill her parents, something else did? There's no other flying predator on this island. The predatory islanders have a deal that stops them hunting the others. Is there something like Kehua? Something that kills without eating..._ That was worse than Kehua. Needless killing... at least Kehua killed for a reason.

"Look. I know this is a lot to absorb, but you have to believe me. No one's ever believed me." Emori's face was flooded with tears. Her eyes were more glossy than stars. "Whatever happened, I'm no freak. I'm nothing like they say I am, Daniella - I know I wasn't abandoned, that Kehua didn't kill them... unless..." Emori looked at the sand. "Unless I was dreaming about my mother leaving me in that way. But it felt so real."

A whole new level of understanding dawned upon Daniella. No wonder Emori muttered at night - no wonder she was hated by so many of the islanders. They thought her parents were killers... even if it didn't sound as though that were the case. _This is why she was so distant, so unwilling to tell me. She was afraid I'd think like they do._

"So... that's why? They tell you that your dad killed the former second-in-command?" What was it with that role? Corey, Eden, and apparently the one even before Corey. The role was cursed. "Your parents were in exile... and something killed them. Costia hid you from whatever it was - she didn't abandon you."

"I think that's the case." Emori murmured. "I'm sure they were framed. I... I guess I might never find out." Emori's shoulders went slack. "I don't think I want to know, if he... and my mom... died for no reason. That I was orphaned for no reason..." Her yellow and blue eyes closed. "That I'm nothing more than a stupid kid who's most interesting quality is that she has killers for parents. A part of me is terrified it's all true."

"You are so much more than that. Your parents... whatever happened... that doesn't define who you are." Daniella extended a wing, touching Emori's shoulder. Emori looked sideways at her. "Thank you for telling me, Emori."

Emori managed a wry half-smile. "Thanks for not running away screaming." The corners of Daniella's beak twitched upwards.

"Well, if I was the coward I was when I arrived here, maybe I would have." Daniella flew up a on a tree trunk that grew almost horizontally over the sand, two foot above the ground. "You've really helped me, Emori - I'm... I'm not scared anymore. Not of everything, at least." Emori flew up next to her.

"Do you think you've overcome that?" Emori inclined her head toward the ocean. Daniella hesitated.

"I'm not actually sure." Suddenly there was a drop of something on Daniella's head. She looked up at the sky, which was now grey with cloud. The wide leaves of the tree trunk had beads of water sliding down their surface, before dripping onto the sand below, turning it dark. "Rain." It hadn't rained since Daniella had arrived almost a week ago. Emori gazed up at the clouds, eyes sliding shut.

"You know, Melodia thinks that rain washes away all our fears. I'm not sure if that's just her crazy talk or not. But being in rain makes me feel less afraid of who I am. It helps me forget about what happened to my parents, that I can be more than what they say." Emori inhaled the air, which had cooled from the breeze and rain.

"I thought the rain would bother me. But it doesn't." Daniella shook her rain-spotted feathers. She surprised herself.

"You think you can fly over there?" Emori asked, excitedly, looking at the sea. "That's the thing. We need to figure out a way to Rio." Behind them, there was suddenly a rustling in the bushes lining the sand. Emori twisted around, expecting nothing - but she froze in fear. _No. Not now._

"I was going to -" Daniella began.

"Daniella! Move!" Emori screeched. Daniella jumped almost a foot in the air. Instinctively, she leapt forwards, tumbling through the air and onto the sand. Sand flew into her eyes as an enormous black thing leapt out of the bushes, knocking Emori off the tree trunk. Kehua didn't notice Emori - he saw the blue bird in the sand. Kehua rose his talons over Daniella, and she cried out, throwing her wings over her head. But then a pebble struck the eagle on the back of the head, and Kehua spun round, almost trampling on Daniella as he did. Emori staggered back over the sand, clearly terrified, yet not showing it. She threw another stone.

His blue-circled eyes bore into Emori, and then sand showered Daniella again as he dived toward his new prey, the red crest on his head lifted to show his excitement. Daniella shook the sand off her, dazed; looking through the gap where Kehua had come from, she saw a flash of movement. But then Emori's shrieks brought her gaze away. She looked around in time to see Kehua swipe Emori to the ground, before he trapped her with his immense claws. It was there that Daniella noticed a colourful feather caught in his talons, and a little blood along with it; but it wasn't Emori's. Regardless, Daniella jolted to life. She sprang up, sinking her beak into his red crest feathers and pulling fiercely. There was a ripping sound and a screech from Kehua as she tore out a few. She was shocked by her own bold move.

"Fly, Emori!" Daniella shrieked, leaping away as Kehua whirled round to see what had torn out his red feathers. How was this happening again? Since when had Kehua strayed this far from his territory? _Why us?_ Then Kehua's talons lashed. Daniella moved back, but not far enough. His claws caught on her necklace, and he tore the chain. It fell to the sand, while the gemstone flew to the foot of the palm tree. Daniella drew in a sharp breath; her one link to home had been broken. She spotted Emori going to retrieve the amethyst, but Kehua swiped again. There was no time. "Come on!" Daniella grabbed Emori by the wing, hauling her toward the rainforest. Kehua missed by a mile - that was his blind side, afterall. Daniella briefly wondered how much of a threat he'd be if something happened to his other eye.

Daniella and Emori fled from Kehua for the second time. As they tore through the treeline, Daniella swore she saw the same flash of movement she'd seen before, but there was no time to look at it. Kehua was screeching and following, more determined to catch the prey he'd lost before. "He never comes this far!" Emori shouted. Yet as they flew for their lives, Daniella still saw something moving from behind; following them. What maniac followed a killer eagle? Yet she tried to ignore it.

"Find water!" Daniella exclaimed, the rain falling more heavily. Emori raced after her, eyes wide with terror, as Kehua grew closer, his claws ready to strike. There it was, a stream. Would there be enough time? Daniella looked over her shoulder in time to see Kehua's talons flash forwards, claws like fish hooks - then she saw a few of Emori's tail feathers fly through the air. Emori sqeauled in fear. "Come on, hurry!" Daniella exclaimed. She seized Emori by the talon, and then they were plunging through space, into the stream. The water enveloped them like watery wings.

Briefly, Daniella panicked when she realized there was no vine - but a few long roots were spilling into the water. She grabbed hold of one before she or Emori could sink anymore. Emori clung to her, fighting to get a grip on a root. Kehua's screeches of rage sounded above the surface; he had seen where they had gone, and now he was clawing at the bank above. In the water, Daniella and Emori were pulling themselves along the roots, which trailed off horizontally. As Kehua tore at the roots in frustration, a dripping Daniella and Emori crawled out of the stream a few metres away, moving silently to avoid detection. As soon as they were far enough, they fled, running because their soaked feathers hindered their flight.

They finally found Emori's tree, diving into the safety of the hollow, and Emori shoved the slate across it. They sat with their backs pressed against the slate; their hearts pounded with fear of the near miss. "Your necklace." Emori said, breathlessly.

"It... it doesn't matter." Daniella admitted, although there was a feeling of emptiness on her chest. They sat there in silence.

Emori realized something. She looked at Daniella, water dripping from her feathers. "You went into the water." Emori said. It took Daniella a few moments to absorb this sentence, before, under the adrenaline and fright from the chase, it dawned upon her. She had gone into the water without hesitation, without a drop of fear. She hadn't even remembered being pushed into the underground stream.

"I did." Daniella and Emori stared at each other. Then, despite the near encounter with Kehua, they were both smiling. Emori was first to laugh, and then Daniella. Daniella then hugged Emori in joy. Emori was surprised; nobody had hugged her so warmly before, so it felt strange. But then she hugged Daniella back, the relief flowing over her. "This is enough. We could leave, Emori!"

"We can!" Emori exclaimed, eyes shining in joy. Yet while they were facing the wondrous possibility of going home - real home - outside Emori's tree, there was movement. A figure moved in the branches, watching where they had gone, it's sinister eyes full of frustration.


	28. One condition

Daniella looked at the ceiling, wondering how many more nights would be spent under it. _Why am I awake, again?_ She then felt another drop of water on her face, and this was followed by a consistent drip. "Emori? There's a leak in the ceiling..." Daniella covered her face, still not believing that she wasn't afraid of water anymore. Not completely unafraid - the prospect of crossing the sea still daunted her. She waited for Emori's reply; she kept waiting. "Emori..." she rolled over, looking at the hammock where Emori usually slept - to her surprise, Daniella noticed that the leaf hammock was empty, the moss cover trailing onto the floor. _That's strange._

Where was Emori? It had barely been a few hours since their lucky escape from Kehua. Her plumage were still slightly damp from being in the stream. Daniella then shook her black head feathers when the drip continued, and she rolled away from the leak, sitting up. She looked around the hollow, but there was no sign. The fire had not long gone out, leaving a smoking pit of still-glowing ashes. It was the middle of the night - it was dangerous, out there and alone, especially after what happened earlier. She didn't fear water anymore, but she still feared the prospect of Kehua lurking in the night...

It was then that she heard the sound of slate moving.

Suddenly there was a frantic scuffling of leaves. Daniella whirled round, lavender eyes fixed at the source. In the dark, she saw how the slate entrance cover had been moved aside, and she just about saw a flicker of movement of something turning and fleeing. "Emori!" But as Daniella ran to the slate, she noticed that it was too large to be Emori. She was too late - it was too dark to see. Skin prickling with unease, Daniella grabbed the stick Emori used, and managed to ignite the end with a dying cinder in the pit. Swallowing hard, she nudged the slate fully aside and ventured out, shielding the flame from rain with a leaf. "Who's out there?" She challenged, meekly. She looked for the movement; then she saw it, flying frantically to get away.

What just happened? She narrowed her eyes, torn. She was too curious for her own good - it always got her into trouble. But she didn't care... then she was rushing along, following it in silence. After initially fleeing, the thing had slowed and was now flying close to the ground - it didn't realize it was being followed. It was a bird, but in the gloom Daniella couldn't identify the species. It was too small to be Kehua, and this was proved when it grabbed a torch similar to the one she was holding - Kehua didn't like fire.

 _Why am I following it?_ She didn't know, but it was almost as if some invisible force was pulling her along.

With it's back to her, with the dark and the rain in her eyes, Daniella couldn't tell who it was. Yet she followed it still. Where was it going? It was heading north - soon enough they were flying past the grove where most islanders slept. As they passed, Daniella glimpsed Lorac pacing up and down, with the Pink-Headed duck Taj and a female bird who's species she couldn't deduce named Indra. Lorac seemed to be watching Anya, a strange look in his eyes - he looked doubtful. Daniella saw Anya outside her hollow, just out of the rain, and momentarily, she slowed, not seeing Lorac, Taj and Indra slip away.

Anya was illuminated by a flaming torch standing beside her - she was so small next to it. She looked as though she were in great pain, and this time, Daniella didn't think it was from her arthritis. The little Socorro dove looked more tired, older, and more in pain than ever before - her head drooped and her cinnamon feathers were lacklustre. Gylfie was beside her, looking frantic, trying to usher her into her hollow. Melodia was with the Forest Owlet, also trying to persuade Anya to head into her tree, but Anya was shaking her head, refusing.

Daniella felt concern for the elderly female, but then she realized she was far behind. She looked around, believing she had lost it, but then she saw a small light through the trees, and rushed to follow. Was she just being stupid, by following? It was probably just someone out for a night flight. _Then why did it stick it's head into the hollow?_

It was going further north, and soon, Daniella failed to recognize the surroundings. Few islanders went this far across the island, for here was where Kehua began to dwell. She felt a rush of fear, expecting the eagle to jump out at anytime, but something deep within told her to keep following the bird. They were now slowing down; then, through the trees, Daniella saw the forest cease to a stop. The flame died, and the bird disappeared.

She landed on the ground, before grass taller than a human. Daniella looked up, intimidated. She looked left and right. The grass stretched almost as far as she could see. Of course - this was the field that divided the north and south of Alegria, that divided Kehua's territory and the islanders'. She looked around, but there was no sign of the bird. _Me being nosy._ "You idiot." Daniella muttered, turning to leave, before noticing a lump in the ground before her feet. She lowered the flaming branch she held.

The other torch lay, smoking, in a puddle. Daniella tilted her head; the bird had to be close. She looked up at the slight parting in the grass, like a path, and she took a few steps into it. But then she heard voices approaching. Panicking, she threw her own flame into the water, and dived into the grass wall. Daniella sank into the grass, listening to the voices. She began to move forwards, but then she jolted back when three birds passed, whispering among themselves. She felt a jolt of surprise and puzzlement, recognizing them.

 _Lorac, Taj, Indra?_ Daniella had seen them back in the grove. Lorac led them, with Indra looking around cautiously and Taj waddling along at the back. _What are they doing here?_ She wondered. Lorac was her second least favourite individual on the island; Taj and Indra were close behind. Daniella waited for them to walk a fair distance away before easing her way out of the grass walls, and creeping behind them. She was too far back to hear what they were saying, but for some reason, she felt uneasy. Yet she still followed, not really knowing why.

Lorac, Taj and Indra kept walking down the path, and they were constantly looking around. Whatever was happening, they were being very secretive about it - Daniella had to stay far behind, keeping to the shadows for the Pink-Headed duck Taj was looking over his shoulder every five seconds, ensuring they weren't being followed. _Great job so far._ Suddenly Lorac came to a halt. The path ended, grass shooting up in the parting. Yet then he parted it with a wing, beckoning his companions. Indra slipped in, and Taj waddled after her; Lorac looked back briefly before entering the gap and brushing it back into place.

Daniella crept down the path, halting at the grass screen. She tried to listen, but they were talking so quietly she couldn't pick out words. Frustrated, she slipped back into the grass wall, moving through until the grass faded. Daniella gently parted the grass before her, and through it, she saw a flame on a branch, jabbed into the soil, lighting up Lorac, Indra, and Taj. Lorac paced up and down before a lump in the shadows.

"I don't see why we need to skulk around in this field." Indra muttered.

"Would you rather our plan be ratted out?" Lorac asked, with a roll of his icy blue eyes. "We've been waiting for this opportunity for so long, and it's not being ruined by plotting in the open for the world to see."

"No need to be rude about it." Indra retorted, coldly.

"Let's go through the plan." Said a new voice - Daniella suddenly realized that the lump in the shadows was a bird. Daniella frowned, and narrowed her lavender eyes. Plan? What plan? She listened, intrigued.

"Indra and I are the fastest fliers." Lorac said. "We will lead him in."

"How will you know where to find him?" Taj asked. _Who's him? What are they talking about?_

"He's skulking the south part of the island - he won't return north. Cinder is keeping him there." Lorac answered. Daniella thought she knew who they meant - it certainly sounded like that - but it didn't make sense. _That can't be who they mean..._ but what was said next would shake her world. "Cinder will send up a signal of his location. Then Indra and I will go over there... and the three of us will guide Kehua to the grove."

Suddenly the world stopped spinning. Daniella's stomach tightened so much she was breathless, in her shock and horror. Had she heard correctly? Why on earth was Lorac planning to lead Kehua to the secret grove, where every vulnerable chick and frail elder was supposedly safe? Daniella swayed with the knowledge, but she knew she had to do something, even if she didn't understand. _He's insane! I have to tell Marcos - he and I don't see eye to eye, but surely he can talk some sense into his friend!_ She turned to go.

"By the time you've hidden yourselves, he'll see the torches, hear the group. Kehua will undoubtedly attack the grove." Daniella went cold. She knew that voice. She looked round, at the bird she couldn't see in the shadow. She thought he had sounded familiar the first time... and for some reason she knew this was the bird she'd been following, the one who had stuck it's head into the hollow.

"In the panic, I will have the perfect opportunity. I will slip into the grove while Kehua keeps everyone distracted - Lorac, Indra, it will be your and Cinder's jobs to add to the frenzy, to keep everyone's eyes off Anya's tree. I will go into her hollow - and there, I will kill her and give this island the leader it desperately needs." The bird in the shadow moved into the torch light - and then she couldn't see clear anymore. The world blurred, all except for the Cuban Red macaw.

"I will make it look as though Anya was the victim of Kehua, just like how I did with Eden." Marcos raked his piercing green eyes on his companions. It was there that Daniella saw a wooden stick next to Marcos. At the end, there was a small carved wooden hook, the same size as one of Kehua's claws. It was stained red. "As soon as I have hidden Anya's body on the forest floor underneath Kehua's attack site, I will quickly find Taj at the grove entrance. We will enter, and react with shock and fear when we see Kehua causing chaos."

"There's one problem, Marcos." Taj said. "How will we actually get rid of Kehua?"

"I never considered..."

"Come on, boss. It was your entire idea, you must have thought about it!" Indra muttered. Daniella could barely breathe. _It wasn't Lorac's idea at all! It was Marcos!_ She covered her beak to stop them hearing her struggle for breath. "Shouldn't we just let her die naturally? Anya didn't look too healthy a few minutes ago..."

"We'll just get rid of him somehow, alright?" Marcos hissed, eyes narrowed. "I've been sweet and courteous to that old bat for far too long, and knowing our luck, she'll outlive us all. It took so much sneaking around and playing nice to get Anya to finally choose me for second leader!" Daniella's knees suddenly gave out. _He's going to kill Anya. He killed Eden! That's why he was acting strangely, all along!_

"But Marcos -" even Lorac looked concerned at the lack of structure.

"Do you want to be my second leader or not?" Marcos demanded. Lorac hesitated, but then his blue eyes filled with wanting and hunger.

"Whatever you need." Lorac said, forgetting the poorly made plan on getting rid of Kehua. "Is it happening tonight?"

"Yes. As soon as the moon has reached the middle of the sky, you start leading Kehua to the grove. I'll be out of sight." Marcos paced around the fire. "I need to take care of something before. I tried it earlier, but it didn't -" suddenly Daniella was aware of a movement. A large, brown rat slipped past her, bigger than her. Forgetting about how close Marcos and his gang were, Daniella released a gasp of fear. She instantly regretted it, flinging her wings over her beak. Too late.

"Did you hear that?" Taj asked, sharply. All eyes turned to her hiding place. Then they were charging her way, Marcos at the front. Daniella tried to fly, but the grass interlocked and tangled overhead, and she tripped and stumbled over roots. Then her talon caught, and Daniella went flying to the ground. Marcos flung the grass aside, and then he was staring down at her, his green eyes initially shocked - then full of rage, as well as fear. Daniella stared back, in absolute terror. _I'm dead..._

"It's nothing." Marcos hissed - Daniella's eyes widened. He shoved through the grass, planting a foot down upon her neck, trapping and pinning her to the ground. Then he spun round and dropped his wings in front of him, concealing her from view as Lorac, Indra and Taj emerged. Daniella struggled under his foot, trying to flee. "You three go. Taj, wait outside the grove, and you two go see if you can track down Cinder."

"Yes, Marcos. We'll send a signal at the time - watch the space above the tree tops." Then there was the sound of Lorac, Taj and Indra leaving; the grass closed, and Marcos waited for their voices to completely fade. Then he unexpectedly seized Daniella and flung her through the grass, to the clearing with the torch. Daniella rolled to a stop, hitting the base of the branch - the flame wobbled dangerously. Daniella looked up at Marcos, as he stood there, rigid in his shock. She stumbled to her feet.

"How could you?" Daniella whispered. Marcos began to pace up and down, but his eyes never left her. He was trying to decide what to do. "You're a monster."

"Me?" Marcos snarled. He thrust his face close to hers. "At least I'm not an annoying kid, or an old, useless dove!"

"Why are you doing this?" Daniella crawled backwards to avoid Marcos. She was scared. The wooden hook was in his reach. "You're the second leader. Anya can't do much, you practically lead it already!"

"She ultimately makes the decisions for us. She's too soft - Anya is useless!" Marcos bit back. "She is celebrated for sitting around, doing nothing! Alegria needs a real leader to bring them the justice they deserve." Daniella knew what that entailed.

"By pushing common birds out of a safe haven, or simply getting rid of them? They're not all like the ones who attacked you and your parents!" Marcos went rigid once more.

"Who told you that?" His green eyes were poisonous. "Was it Emori?"

"Common birds are just like you and me. No matter what species we are, we're all the same on the inside! You -"

"You don't know me!" Marcos snapped. His voice grew high, like splintering ice. "You have no idea where I come from, where I've been, or what I had to do to get from where I was to where I am now!" His multi-coloured feathers were bushed in his hostility, his eyes like pale green ice.

"You've got everything you could ever want!" Daniella shrank from Marcos in fear. "You're respected and admired by everyone. Killing isn't the way!"

"It's proved effective so far." Marcos sneered. "You're a kid. You don't understand. It's that Emori, isn't it? She's poisoned you."

"What have you got against Emori?" Daniella asked, backing away.

"I heard all the lies she was telling you on the beach." Marcos replied. "I know you're planning on leaving..."

"Wait a minute." It dawned upon Daniella. "Kehua attacked us on that beach. Why didn't you..." It was there that she noticed that Marcos was limping, that there was a wound at the base of his tail - there was also a wound on his leg. Drops of blood turned the yellow grass red, and a few feathers had been torn out. _Feathers._ Suddenly Daniella remembered seeing Emori pinned down in the sand, Kehua's talons trapping her. _There was blood. And an orange feather._ She looked at Marcos' orange feathers - the shade matched exactly. She froze with the horror of her realization. "You led him to us, didn't you?"

Marcos didn't say a word.

"Her parents were poisonous too." Marcos stalked around her, not answering the question, but Daniella knew it was true. "She thinks she was loved, that Costia and Embry were innocent? Well, she's wrong. I know because I was there. I watched in remorse as her mother abandoned her in a tree, leaving her to die alone and scared. Then I saw Kehua strike Costia down. I got this trying to save her!" Marcos lifted his right wing, showing Daniella a ragged scar stretching from his throat to almost his tail. Daniella stared at the white river tumbling through his orange feathers.

"But... it can't be." Daniella's heart lurched. "Emori was so certain she was loved..."

"Loved?" Marcos snarled. "Her parents wanted to leave the island. They didn't want a chick to slow them down, which is why she was abandoned to die."

"But... Emori said..."

"Never mind what she said. You know too much..." Marcos towered over her, and Daniella froze in fear, too frightened to move. Marcos momentarily glanced at the wooden weapon he had, the one he used to make wounds look more like eagle clawmarks. But then he shook his head slowly - he still had a conscience, for now, at least. "You're just a kid." He muttered under his breath. He glanced back at Daniella, and then he looked at the horizon. "When I was younger I went to the mainland..." he sighed. "If you want to get to Rio like I heard you say, go to the cove on the north side of the island. If you look out around noon you'll see a boat that'll pass and take you there."

"I don't understand..." Daniella couldn't believe it. Marcos had just given her the answer. _I can go home._

"On one condition." Marcos suddenly looked angry again. Daniella stiffened. Marcos leaned down, uncomfortably close considering he had the wooden hook nearby. "You are to leave alone. Emori stays behind." The single feeling of relief shattered. Daniella's knees almost buckled.

"What?" She asked, in a strangled voice.


	29. Where I go

"You heard me." Marcos broke through the silence. "She stays, you leave."

"But..." Daniella didn't understand. A fog had formed in her brain, blocking off understanding. "Why? You hate her!" Her voice grew high with distress. _What's going on? He makes no sense!_ "You want her and every common species gone - I'm practically getting rid of her for you!" Marcos was unbelievably confusing. He despised Emori, yet wanted her to stay? His look gave no clue.

"You don't need to know." Marcos hissed, simply.

"Oh no? Tell me why!" Daniella pleaded. "I can't leave her here! She's my only friend who's not related to me! She's helped me so much. You're asking me to pay back her generosity by crushing her dream of leaving this ironically named island of Alegria?"

" _Ironically?"_ Marcos was surprised at Daniella's vocabulary choice.

"My mom uses complicated words, okay?" Daniella's plumage bristled. "I'm not leaving Emori here... a-and I'll tell A-Anya..." Marcos saw her fear. She was shaking. Clearly she still was afraid of some things - but she was mostly terrified of Marcos and the monster that lurked beneath his colourful feathers. The true monster of Alegria wasn't Kehua.

"So, you _do_ have a family?" Marcos loomed over her, hearing her mention her mother. His eyes hardened. "Listen here. You're going to go away now and wait for the boat and stay out of my way, and away from the grove."

"Make me!" Daniella dared, despite her fear. She turned, started walking away, determined to tell Anya about the plot, to escape the island with Emori. Marcos stared after her. He momentarily looked at the hook on the stick, and then his talons, but then he decided he could talk his way out. He began thinking of a way to manipulate her; then he found a solution.

"You're going to do what I say, for your own - and your family's - safety. As well as Emori's." Daniella froze at that moment - it was as though she had been plunged into a sea of icy water. She didn't dare turn around, but Marcos knew he had shruck gold. He began to circle her like a vulture, stalking through the grass and making it rustle.

"You can't get back. You won't know my family." Daniella shrank to the ground. Marcos drew closer, the rustling grass putting her nerves on edge.

"There can't be that many Spix's macaw families in one city." He sneered. "I will hunt you and your family down. I'll follow you from a distance, and you won't even realize."

"But... that's impossible!" Daniella blurted out - but then Marcos loomed threateningly.

"I swear I won't harm Emori." Marcos said. "But you'd better get out of here. You don't want Kehua finding you, do you?"

"W-well..." Daniella refused to answer. "You can't kill Anya." She said, meekly, but the poisonous look alone from Marcos silenced her. The fear built up. It consumed her like a flame, spreading and burning every scrap of bravery and logical thinking. Suddenly the fright was uncontainable, making her forget about Emori, innocent and frail Anya, and the poor islanders who had no idea that Kehua was coming. She was thinking only of Marcos' claws sinking into Azure, Bia lying on the ground while Leo screamed. Marcos was capable of such a thing. Suddenly Marcos looked more visibly terrifying than ever before. His eyes were like ice, and the scars torn throughout his skin resembled white snakes.

"Don't mess with me. Because I will kill you, and everybody you love." Marcos interrupted the flow of terrifying thoughts; creepily, he waved his right foot in her face, the one with the missing toe. "Goodbye, Daniella. I trust that you will make the right choice. Emori is by the Claw Overhang in the main river if you want to say goodbye." The Cuban Red macaw then turned, and with a flash, was gone. As he left, Marcos grinned with satisfaction, certain that the terrified chick would save her own skin, that she couldn't bring herself to tell Emori or ruin his plan. Instead of going to sneak into the grove, however, he made a detour, heading for the last place he had seen Emori.

Her instinct - deep down - was to defy what he said. Go warn the islanders of the traitor in their midst, grab Emori and flee. But for some reason then, Daniella was tearing through the North end of the island, ignoring the protests in her head as she headed for the end, for the sound of the ocean. Her mind raced, her heart thudded with terror at the thought of a scorned Marcos coming to find her, Emori, and her family. She was too blinded by fear to think logically; she didn't think about the blatantly obvious part, that Marcos wasn't going to harm Emori. Of course he wasn't going to keep that promise.

In a strangely short amount of time, Daniella arrived at the beach. Yet before she could fly blindly into the sea, something stopped her. It wasn't the fact that Marcos had said that the boat only appeared around noon - it was doing the right thing. _What is the right thing? I can't let Marcos kill Anya... and I can't leave Emori after all she's done for me. But I can't endanger my family!_ _What's the chances of Marcos finding me? Don't be stupid, Daniella!_

She paced up and down the sand, afraid and unsure. _Where do I go from here?_

Daniella stared out to the sea, uncertain. The waves were huge and intimidating, a wind whipping it up, the same wind ruffling her feathers. She should be afraid, but she wasn't. _It's because of Emori._ The sea rolled in, rushing up the sand and retreating back, a few crabs scuttling between the waves like how they had earlier. She was reminded of her walk along the beach with Emori. _She helped me overcome the thing I fear most through compassion and the kindness of her heart. And how did I pay back her generosity?_

 _By leaving her on the island she hates, where her parents died, where everyone hates her for what her parents did and what she is - while I return to my old life._ Daniella closed her eyes. It was time to forget her - Marcos had promised not to harm her. Something was blocking the message in her brain, the one that was screaming at her to wake up; of course Marcos wouldn't keep his promise. He was a killer who had used deceit to claw his way to power, not caring about the innocent who suffered from his greed in the process. _Emori. Corey, Eden, and Anya'll be next. Then everyone else he hates will be wiped out. I can't leave, and let Emori remain lost in this so-called paradise._

 _You must leave. What about your family?_ Reminded a mocking voice in her mind that sounded like that of Marcos. She turned back toward the ocean, her heart pounding with indecision. She wanted to go home. She knew the way now, right? Marcos had told her. Part of her wondered if he had simply been lying to get her out of the way, but for some reason, she knew that it was one of the few truthful things he'd ever said. This was her chance to escape, to forget the horrors of the island… but could she bring herself to leave without Emori?

 _She's been through so much._ Daniella didn't know what to believe. Emori was sure her parents were innocent, that she wasn't abandoned, while Marcos had said he witnessed Costia abandoning Emori, and then he had a scar from trying to save her from Kehua. But then... it was a bit of a coincidence that Kehua had showed up to kill both Costia _and_ Embry. And if Marcos hated Emori so much for her species... why bother trying to save a Chestnut-Fronted macaw from such a deadly predator? Her heart was moving further up her throat.

Her eyes were threatened with tears at the thought of leaving Emori. From the past days she had known Emori, she had grown so attached, as attached as she was to Leo. Emori was like a sister to her - she couldn't abandon her now. She looked back at the palm trees fringing the shore, but then she heard Marcos' voice in her ear. When she whirled round to look, he wasn't there. She was imagining his low, shady voice. _Don't mess with me. Because I will kill you, and everybody you love._ She couldn't endanger her family by warning the islanders and fleeing with Emori... but then she couldn't let Marcos win. Her imagination ran wild with near-impossible scenarios.

She went to turn back to the trees, but her mind pulled her toward the sea again. She walked back, forwards, in circles, voices shouting at her from all angles in her head. It was crushing her. Her heart ran one way, her head another. The world spun as it became too much, too fast. The stars blurred into white lines, the moon lost all detail and became a pale blur. The clouds pressed in, looming and frightening, and voices screamed inside her mind. _It's too much… too much!_

 _"Kehua! He's here! He's never gotten into the grove before!"_

 _"Marcos, please! I'm begging you, don't kill me!" Anya..._

 _"After everything I did for you, now you choose to abandon me? I thought you were my friend, but you're not! You're no different from anyone else here!" Emori!_

It was unbearable. The world spun, faster and faster, and the sounds grew painfully loud. Crippled by responsibility and indecision, she lost it. Everything came crashing down - Daniella collapsed to the sand with a cry of despair. She lay there, tears tumbling down her cheeks, her black head feathers hanging in her eyes and blocking out the world. The world seemed to stand still, Daniella the only thing moving or making any sound.

She felt like a kid, crying on the beach. _I am a kid, remember?_ How had so many terrible things happened in her life, so soon? It was a cursed life, all because she'd been stupid enough to get captured. If she hadn't, she wouldn't have met Emori. At least then she couldn't have given Emori false hope. She wouldn't have known about the horrors of the island, and she would be spared of this pain.

"I tried. I tried so hard, but no matter what I do I'm just a coward. If only I hadn't gotten captured - at least then I wouldn't have met Emori and done this to her..." Daniella buried her face into her wings. "I was a horrible friend... and now I've hurt her. Those kids who pushed me into that stream were right all along - I really am pathetic..." Daniella's voice faded to a whisper, but her voice trembled with emotion and grief as she closed her eyes and dropped her head. "I feel so lost."

In her distraught, Daniella didn't notice the patch of starry sky appearing overhead through a gap in the cloud cover, or the glimpse of moon turning the beach silver. Nor did she notice the appearance of a blue light across the sand. For a moment it shone brilliantly; but then it dimed down. "You've come such a long way, haven't you?" Murmured a gentle voice, one tinged with Brazilian accent.

Daniella looked up, seeing the Spix's macaw; she hadn't seen another of her own kind in so long, but there was something strange - and startling - about this one. She was surrounded by a soft blue glow, her feathers woven with specks of starlight, like crystals of ice. Daniella was both mystified and afraid. "Don't be scared, child."

The figure moved closer, and Daniella could see her features better. Her feathers were fluffy, a lovely shade of dark blue. Her head feathers hung in layers on the back of her head, and her eyes were a shade of turquoise not unlike Jewel's, however, they had a green hue to them. Speaking of her maternal grandmother, this macaw bore a striking resemblance to Jewel; she had the same beak and very similar eyes, although her head feathers were more wavy, her face softer; there was no fierceness in her eyes, unlike Jewel.

"Who..." Daniella's voice shook. "Who are you?" What scared her was the bluish glow surrounding her, the sparkle of stars woven through her plumage. She was incredibly beautiful, with the glow and grains of ice scattered across her body, the feathers flowy, vibrant, as real as they had been when she was alive. Her eyes were warm and playful, a lighter patch of feathers wandering underneath her left eye.

"Tia." Said the ghostly - but not as frightening as that - form. Daniella didn't know what to do or what to say. Her voice was stuck in her throat. She hesitantly went to introduce herself, but Tia spoke first. "I know who you are, Dani." Eventually Daniella found words.

"Dani? Only my family call me that..." Daniella blinked. _Tia._ She'd heard that name before; but Jewel's mother had perished in a fire many years ago. _My great grandmother was called Tia... but she's dead. Am I going mad?_

"You're not crazy." Tia seemed to read her thoughts. "It's really me. I'm allowed into the world of the living when my family need help, desperately. Don't be alarmed - I've visited others before." Tia sat on the sand next to her. "I've been watching you all your life. I've been watching you for the past few days especially." But then Tia looked serious. "Why are you here, Daniella? It contradicts all the progress you've made recently. Do you know what's happened? You -"

"I'm a coward. I know..." Daniella was still staring at Tia, trying to convince herself this was all real.

"That's not what I was going to say." Tia said, gently. "You're a lot braver than you think, Daniella." Daniella had finally gotten over the shock of seeing her great-grandmother's spirit, although she was still mystified and wondering if she was indeed crazy.

"I'm really not." Daniella replied, eventually. She looked at the sand, tears flooding her eyes in shame. "I'm afraid of everything. Emori deserves a better friend than me - I've betrayed her because I was too afraid to do the right thing."

"You're the best friend she's ever had." Tia reminded her. "Until you, she never had a friend - but she trusts you with her past and her secrets, and for many, that's very difficult and it's something they refuse to share for many years."

"I was still willing to abandon her." Daniella pointed out, in utter humiliation. The tears continued to fall, and her mind raced, emotions spilling. "Why is Marcos like this? I don't understand!" Tia looked away.

"He lost his way a long time ago... but it's too late to bring him back. He's lost forever." Tia said, sounding regretful. "If you saw what he saw, though, maybe you'd understand why he has his problems."

"I get that, with his parents, and that is... inexcusable." Another one of her mother's impressive words. "But it's still not fair, how he treats some birds. And I still let him manipulate me." Daniella said. "But it doesn't matter now. He's won." Rather than looking disappointed, Tia looked sympathetic.

"Don't be so hard on yourself. And who says he's won?" Tia draped a wing around her. Daniella stiffened, expecting Tia to feel cold, or for her wing to pass through, but she was very much warm and real. Daniella's fear melted away somewhat at Tia's comforting touch. There was a pause, as Tia turned back to what Daniella said before, about abandoning Emori.

"Sometimes our natural instinct is to just get up and run. Yet after that initial wave of fear, we start to piece things together. Daniella, listen to me. You're right. Leaving Emori and everyone here at the mercy of a bad bird isn't the right thing. But you were willing to leave alone to protect those you hold closest to your little heart, because you began imagining all sorts of things. You're a child - it's only natural. You didn't want to hurt anyone."

Daniella nodded slowly, blinking.

"But now you think, Dani. It's very unlikely that Marcos could ever find you. He's one macaw, up against your parents who fought off a monster and saved themselves and the tribes." The 'monster' Tia spoke of was the vengeance-crazed Hyacinth Kerja, whom Daniella and Leo had been told about in countless stories. "And if he were to somehow find them, your mother and father would fend him off easily. They have friends by their side to protect them."

"I suppose..."

"Bia and Azure aren't the only ones. You come from incredible line of birds, Dani." Tia turned her face towards her, so they looked each other in the eye. "My dear Eduardo brought two groups together during a time of great sorrow to form the tribe you know today. Roberto and Sophia saved one another from certain doom, long before you or even your father was born. You know what Blu and Jewel did, and how your aunts and uncles courageously searched for a plant to save my sick daughter. And never forget how Orchid sacrificed half her sight to save a chick in danger." Daniella wasn't sure what Tia was trying to tell her.

"I'm saying that you can be so much more than what you think. You can be a hero, if you are brave enough to do the right thing."

"I'm not sure about that... I don't know if I have the courage to go back."

"Find it." Tia whispered in her ear. Daniella looked into the ocean; the moon danced, a white stream reflected on the sea. _I was brave enough to get over my fear of water. I saved Emori's life..._ suddenly Daniella was looking through each of her memories, looking for comfort. Roberto and Sophia laughing over a brazil nut, while Jewel also laughed at Blu's struggle to free a particularly stubborn one from it's branch. Mimi lying in the sun, Eduardo trying and failing to wake her. Her seven cousins playing on the lilypads while all her aunts and uncles looked on. Leo's laughter and Emori's smile. Azure singing to her and Leo, while Bia looked on with loving hazel eyes.

"You make your whole family proud." Tia said; Daniella saw the pride, felt it. "You may be young, but, you can save an innocent leader and an island. You can save Emori from a place she'll never belong - make sure her parents didn't die in vain." Tia looked up, and Daniella followed her gaze. Two Chestnut-Fronted macaws were watching them several metres away, surrounded by the same blue glow as Tia. They were looking at her with pleading eyes filled with desperation. "Look at them, Dani. All I see is one thing." A stunning realization dawned upon Daniella. At the mention of Emori, the only thing in their eyes was love.

"Marcos was wrong. They didn't abandon Emori... they love her." she looked up at Tia for clarification, and she nodded. "So... Emori was right!" She looked at the two forms, and they, while they didn't speak, Costia and Embry's eyes confirmed it. Joy flooded her heart, and Daniella's tears stopped. "Marcos lied to me... why didn't I see it?" She got up, and slowly turned, facing the jungle. "What am I doing? I can't leave Emori here - no. I _won't_ leave Emori here." Realization washed over her. Suddenly she wasn't afraid. She felt determination instead of fear. "If I don't warn them, I'll regret it for the rest of my life. This is the right thing to do..."

"You know where Emori is." Tia breathed. Daniella remembered exactly what Marcos said; she knew where the Claw Overhang was, and her chest filled with hope. She looked into the trees. "Go on! You know what you have to do!" Tia encouraged. Daniella went to speed into the jungle, but before she did, she turned to Tia, looking up at her.

"Thank you." Daniella said. Tia smiled, eyes filled with affection.

"I'll be right here." Tia pressed the area over Daniella's heart. Then she retreated, so that she stood with Costia and Embry. All three began to fade. Daniella blinked - and then Emori's parents - and her great-grandmother - were gone. She turned her back on the ocean, looking into the trees. _I know what I have to do... this is where I go!_


	30. I got your ribbon

Emori heard someone land behind her, but she didn't need to turn to know who it was. She rolled her yellow and blue eyes. "What's your problem? Does annoying me make you feel better about your own sad, miserable life?" Emori finally turned, facing Marcos with a glare. He had passed by earlier on, noticing her but not approaching. He had been flying oddly, as though he were in pain.

"This is no time for childish insults." Marcos said, his voice steady, but Emori saw his gritted beak, saw the anger in his unfriendly green eyes. She went to bite back, but then she noticed something strange. He was pacing in unease, with difficulty - due to his slight limp. She noticed the scratch on his leg, and above that, three enormous claw marks, the feathers there stained by dried blood.

"What happened to you?"

"None of your concern." Marcos snapped, his voice now tight. His eyes were flicking back and forth as though he were dreading something, waiting for someone to appear. He was on edge. "I'm here because I have something to tell you." Emori was distracted by his limp, barely hearing. For some reason she kept remembering their close encounter with Kehua.

"Alright." She said, curtly. "What is it?" She turned away, watching the pond from where she was sitting on the Claw Overhang. It was an earth overhang, shaped like a claw, giving it the name. It overlooked an old pond, a pond that was mostly covered by thick lilypads, reeds and other water plants that floated on the surface. The pond was almost indistinguishable among the rest of the forest floor, as the vegetation growing over it was so dense. There was the sound of rushing water through the trees, which the pond emptied into - the island's main river flowed, pausing in a waterfall not far ahead.

"It's about Daniella." Marcos said, and Emori stiffened. She finally turned, so she could face him. She narrowed her eyes.

"What about her?" Emori asked, her skin crawling as she noticed once again how on edge Marcos was despite his calm expression. His feathers were on end. "If you're going to waste my time and tell me something dumb, you can just go -"

"She's left, Emori." Emori froze. She stared into the pond, this news sinking in - before she turned round to stare at Marcos.

"What did you just say to me?"

"I found her and told her how to get to the main land. I told her... and then she was gone." Marcos looked away, shaking his head. "I know you must be devastated... unfortunately, it seems as though she wanted to go alone." Emori couldn't believe her ears. Initially, there was the devastation - the betrayal. Daniella had abandoned her. _No... no..._ how could she?

"No. I won't... I won't believe that." A surge of panic was moving upwards. "I-If she left... why would she leave without me?" Then anger tore through her. "We were friends! She wouldn't just leave without - hang on. How do you know she wanted to leave?" Marcos went rigid.

"What?"

"Why would you tell her how to get home?" Emori's heart was beating faster. Marcos stared.

"Because she approached and asked me." He said, smoothly.

"No... no, you said you found her... and told her."

"I didn't... you misheard, I said..."

"You're lying." A distance away, Daniella raced towards the Claw Overhang. But while she was full of hope from Tia's words of wisdom, she had no idea of what was going on at her destination. There, the atmosphere crackled with tension, as their voices rose, as Marcos tried to cover up the holes in his story, while Emori tore new ones. Already angry and on edge from his conversation and near ruining of his plan from Daniella, Marcos was starting to lose his temper with Emori. "You're obviously lying! Something's not right here!" Emori's familiar sense of desperation rose. Daniella wouldn't do that to her... would she? Marcos was capable of such a cruel lie.

"Listen kid, its not my fault everyone wants to abandon you!" Marcos snapped, without thinking, bringing back that subject. Emori's blood boiled.

"I wasn't abandoned! I remember -" at this word, Marcos jolted.

 _"You remember?"_ suddenly Marcos' eyes bulged in his sockets. "What do you remember?" He demanded, sharply. His feathers were enormous, and his face was thrust close to Emori's. She lurched back, but to her shock, he grabbed her, claws digging into her.

"Let go of me!"

"Answer my question!" In his panic, Marcos didn't realize he was digging a deeper and deeper hole. Emori was beginning to realize he was hiding something.

"What's it to you, anyway?" Emori spat. "Why have you always been so interested in my memories? Even when I was little, you'd hang around, asking Melodia what I'd been saying. It's not like you were there!" But then it crept in. It approached her mind at the panicked expression of Marcos' face, the wildness in his eyes. Suddenly she had a vision. Marcos, lifting her out of her hiding place, blood all over him; a bloody snake from throat to tail. The screeches she'd witnessed a few moments before rang in her ears, meaning she couldn't tell whether her mother and her attacker were shrieking right now, whether Costia was still alive. She flashed back to the present.

"You... you were there." A little mist lifted in her earliest memory. "You didn't just carry me back to the grove. You were there when it happened, weren't you?" But then Marcos was dragging her away from the pond. He hauled her through the trees, to the rushing water. He swung her around, so she was dangling over the edge of the bank. Over her racing heart, Emori didn't hear the river below, wasn't aware of where she was. Looking at the water below her, the danger not registering, Emori suddenly thought this felt familiar. She had a vision, of hanging over the forest floor, tiny and flightless.

"I saved your worthless life." Marcos said, green eyes filled with resentment. But not all of it was truth. _He's lying._ Then he muttered under his breath. "I should have left you there." But not quietly enough. Emori heard. She was about to scream, demand what he knew.

"You -"

"I've had enough of you, Emori! I should have done this long ago!" The barricade Marcos had dissolved, the one that had stopped him killing Daniella. Now there was no fence to stop himself from stooping to the lowest of the low. This was a 'diving point' - where a vine trailed, tied around a boulder, when one needed to hide from Kehua in the water. But this one was rarely used as the river was so dangerous. Marcos had Emori pinned with one foot, and with the other, he wildly wrapped the vine, crisscrossing her all around. Emori thrashed in panic.

"What are you doing?" She struggled, swiping up with a free talon - a small set of scratches made their mark. Marcos squawked, and then he leapt away, and then she heard the clatter of pebbles. Emori realized too late that Marcos had shoved the boulder off the rock overhang. But then she was being pulled with great force. With a sqeaul of shock, Emori plunged into the river.

The boulder dragged her down, down, to the riverbed, and she was suspended in the water. The surface rushed by above, and she saw the blurry colours that made up Marcos. Emori was momentarily frozen stiff, by the icy water, by the shock of what had just happened. It slowly sank in. _Marcos just tried to kill me._ Then she snapped into awakening, began struggling against the vine ensnaring her, but her lungs were screaming for air. Desperately, she tried to free herself, but vines were seemingly everywhere. She only got more tangled.

Daniella reached the Claw Overhang, but as she looked, she realized Emori was no where to be found. Her stomach dropped; had Marcos lied about where she was? She frowned and looked into the pond, wondering if Emori was in the water, but then she heard a voice through the trees. "I'm sure your parents will be _dying_ to see you!" _Marcos._ It was unmistakable.

Daniella raced to the treeline, just in time to see the Cuban Red macaw fly across the river, where, in the distance, a flame shone over the trees. _The signal._ The moon was halfway into the sky - Marcos' deadly plan was about to be executed. But instead of racing to the grove, to warn the islanders and Anya, Daniella was drawn to the side of the rock overhang. _Your parents will be dying to see you. Emori's not back there. Marcos was just here._ Daniella looked over the rock edge, and saw the bubbles in the water despite the swift current.

Then she saw something coral pink, fluttering in the wind, a little moonlight catching it's glossy surface. She freed it from the root it was caught on, holding it up, her heart beating hard. Emori's ribbon, and no Emori. She looked back at the stream of bubbles, crawled down to the bank - and then she plunged her face into the water. Initially, she thought all she saw was gloom in the dark water. But there was something wriggling down below. She thought it was a fish at first.

Then she saw Emori struggling weakly, entangled in a vine stuck to a rock. The only thing stopping her from sinking was the powerful current - the realization came crashing down. Daniella leapt back, and scrabbled back up the rock. Her sense of bravery and almost invincibility from her spiritual encounter had diminished into terror for her friend. "Help!" She screamed, whirling around, waving her wings and shouting, trying to draw attention, but there was no one. She was alone. Frantically, she looked back into the river, trying her best to stay calm.

"Think!" She exclaimed to herself, wingtips buried in her black head feathers.

Daniella couldn't swim down there - she'd be swept away by the current. Then she saw a heavy rock perched on the edge of the stone overhang, and made an impulsive decision. She frantically tied the ribbon around her leg; then, without thinking, she threw herself against the rock, desperately shoving, with no result. "Move!" She cried out. Emori was running out of time. _My mom loosened Kerja's weapon in that battle by scratching at the earth... maybe if I do the same, it'll give._ She dived at the front of the stone, scrabbling away at the loose rocks and earth. Then, after a torturous effort, the stone began to slide slowly down. Daniella jumped back, and then it leaned over the edge - she held onto it. She closed her eyes tight as she fell.

There was a splash as Daniella went into the water with it. She held onto the rock, plunging down, well over a metre deep - then, as the rock fell past Emori, she let go, seizing the vine Emori was attached to. The current pulled fiercely, threatening to drag her away, but she held on tight with her talons. She went to shriek Emori's name, but the air in her closed mouth was all she had. Emori's eyes were closed, and her struggles had almost ceased, although there were still bubbles streaming from her beak. Daniella held onto the vine connecting Emori to the rock below, and snapped through it. But realized too late. With an underwater shriek, Daniella - clinging to the vine that held Emori - was torn away by the current.

Instead of being trapped in the water, Daniella and Emori were swept up to the surface. Daniella gasped as she breached it, filling her lungs, before both the weight of Emori and her own feathers dragged her back under. Yet repeatedly, some invisible force kept returning her to the surface, something other than current. At the same time, she heard Tia's voice - no longer calm and gentle, but high-pitched and desperate _. "Up! Up!"_ It cried. Daniella fought against her sodden feathers, somehow managing to once again draw in a breath.

Daniella suddenly felt a weight vanish, and then she hit something hard. Coughing up water, Daniella shook the water out of her feathers, crawling to safety on the rock. Then she wondered why the weight had vanished. The vine that had connected her to Emori had snapped, and now a green and brown thing was bobbing in the water several metres away, rushing along and by a miracle remaining afloat. Ignoring her protesting lungs, Daniella pushed herself into flight, initially struggling as her waterlogged feathers dragged her down.

"Emori!" She called, desperately, trying to reach her friend, but the water hungrily surged up toward her whenever she got close, forcing her back. Emori continuously bobbed back under or was swept out of her reach, adding to her sense of panic. The moonlight was the only thing keeping Emori in sight, illuminating her against the water. Daniella raced over the river, trying to get close enough, but the water swept so fast she was a good two metres behind. The wind battered her, trying to send her flying off course, but she resisted, fighting the elements to carry on following Emori. She didn't know how Emori was still afloat; the current truly was powerful. Yet she felt Tia's presence.

She gained a little on Emori, but then she saw it up ahead. The river dropped off, and she heard the thunder of water over the blood roared in her ears. The waterfall. If Emori went down there, Daniella would lose her forever. It was now or never.

"Come on, Daniella!" She urged herself, forcing her wings to flap harder, faster. Her beating heart roared over the rush of water, and in her mind, she felt a sudden wave roll up the shore of her brain. A swash, gentle and building, making her feel supported, and ultimately, calm. A moment of clarity washed away her fear, and Daniella realized this was it. Emori was moments from being swept over the waterfall, to her watery grave. Emori passed over the edge, began to tumble toward the point of no return. The sense of absolute calm descended over Daniella.

 _"Now!"_ Tia shouted in her mind. Without a moment's fear or hesitation, she folded her wings flat, and plunged into the mist of water droplets.

There was a long moment where there was no sign of life; maybe Daniella had lost Emori in the spray, maybe gotten caught by the waterfall itself. The moon ducked behind a cloud, briefly turning the world dark - but then it came out. It casted brilliant silver on the blue feathers, and the sodden Chestnut-Fronted macaw hanging from her talons. Daniella emerged from the spray, Emori dangling from her grasp.

But Emori was heavier than she looked. Daniella struggled, grunting with effort, but as soon as she reached the safety of the bank, Daniella gave out. She half landed, half fell onto the mud, dropping Emori as she did. Daniella lay there, gasping in effort, trying to recapture her breath. She desperately looked around the bank - where was Emori? Then there was the eventual sound of spluttering. She whipped her head round, saw Emori twitching as air found it's way into her lungs - then she was coughing, water spilling from her beak as she gasped for air. Emori came back to life, on wings and talons, coughing up every last drop of water. After about a minute, Emori looked toward Daniella, water streaming from her face. Neither one knew what to say.

"I... I got your ribbon." Daniella held up the pink satin that had remained attached to her leg.


	31. Black cloak

"Marcos said you'd left!" Emori spluttered, still fighting to empty her lungs of water. She fought away Daniella's attempts of help at first, still believing Marcos, that Daniella had willingly left without her.

"But I didn't!" Daniella protested. "Look, I'm right here. I wouldn't really leave you! You're my friend. I couldn't do that to you, after all you've done for me!" Daniella thought it best not to tell Emori that she'd had a breakdown on a beach and been visited by a spirits, especially when two of those had been her dead parents. _She'd think me a bit crazy... and it's tragic that I've seen them and she hasn't. She wouldn't believe me anyway._

"I thought you'd gone!" Understandably Emori sounded angry and distressed, after the near-death experience of the river, of what Marcos had said and done. "That you'd abandoned me, just like how... how my parents did." Daniella's heart sank, for she knew the truth. How could she convince Emori she was loved without telling her she'd seen Costia and Embry?

"You don't really believe that. That's Marcos, playing with your mind. And you weren't abandoned."

"How do you know that?" Emori asked, in disbelief. She'd given up hope.

"I..." Daniella was unsure how to respond. "I just know." She insisted, firmly. Emori looked at her, half believing, half not. She then entered another spluttering fit, for there was still water in her lungs. "How did you end up in there?" Daniella asked, a wing around her friend as she continued to cough. Emori said it bluntly.

"He tried to kill you?" Daniella exclaimed, she helped Emori to her feet. _"Why?"_

"Because he was there!" Emori coughed up more water, leaning heavily on Daniella now. "He was there when my mother died. I just remembered, and then he freaked out. That's where he threw me in the river and, and -" nothing. All she remembered was a weight on her suffocating lungs, a little rushing sound, and Daniella's voice. "He knows what really happened to her. Maybe he knows what happened to my father, too..." Emori swayed slightly from getting up so fast, from the pressure of it all. "Whatever he thinks I know, he didn't think I could live with..."

"Woah, slow down!" Daniella tried to steady her. "You almost drowned!"

"I'm fine..." Emori protested. "You..." She struggled to remember, but she knew Daniella had saved her life. "How did you save me? The water..."

"It doesn't bother me any more." Daniella insisted, although she didn't celebrate this. "But we'll discuss all that later, right now, we have to get back to the grove!"

"What? Are you insane?" Emori stared, backing away from Daniella as if she were the grove itself. Her feathers bristled. "We have to get out of here! I can't stay on this island with that psychopath! Marcos said you know the way." Daniella nodded to confirm this. "So why stay? There's no reason for us to be here!"

"But there is a reason!" Daniella seized her wing, making her turn back. "Emori, Marcos is going to kill Anya!"

"What?" Emori stared. "How do you -"

"He's luring Kehua to the grove as a distraction!" Daniella exclaimed, and Emori struggled to fully absorb this fact. "I overheard him plotting with Lorac and their gang. He's luring Kehua in, and while everyone is kept busy, he's going to sneak into Anya's tree. He'll kill her, and maul her body with a hook to make it appear at though Kehua did it. Remember the state of Eden? That's because Marcos murdered her, and he had to make it look as though Kehua did it!" This infomation whirled around Emori's mind.

"But _why?"_

"So he could take Eden's place and then kill Anya to become leader!" Daniella shouted, in her frustration.

The world spun as Emori remembered the night Eden died. _Marcos was swift to suggest Kehua was the culprit._ She remembered the morning after her and Daniella's very first encounter with Kehua; Marcos had been leading a search party to find the missing former second leader. _Marcos flew off on his own, looking as though he knew exactly where to go!_ "That slimy - why doesn't he just wait until she dies? She's old! I heard Gylfie and Melodia. They don't think she's got long left, and..." her voice cut off. "Wait. If he killed Eden... what if he killed Corey too?" Corey, the second leader before Eden, who had also been 'killed by Kehua'. Suddenly she thought about her parents.

Another possibility dawned upon Emori, but she was too horrified by the thought to say it to Daniella.

"We have to warn them, Marcos can't become leader! It'll be a disaster!" Daniella's voice pulled Emori out of her dreadful thoughts. "Come on, we have to warn them before Kehua gets there!"

"But... it's so open... we could just leave, no one would ever know..." Emori was pulled to the prospect of freedom, the first true freedom she'd ever experienced.

Daniella tugged on her wing, voice full of pleading. "Please! I know we could easily leave right now. But we can't just let innocent islanders die." Suddenly Emori's heart lurched with responsibility. She felt sick with the horrifying thoughts whirling round her mind. Suddenly she was consumed with the terror of knowing the truth. She turned, and stumbled through the ferns a few feet from the mud, petrified for the one of the few times in her life.

"I can't do it!"

"Wait!" Daniella bolted after her, desperately. "Emori, please, we have to do this!"

"Why should we?"

"Because it's our responsibility!" Daniella blurted out.

"Our responsibility?" Emori challenged, whirling round. Daniella backed away as Emori looked angry. "My whole life, they've treated me like some sort of freak! Why should we try save them, when they've always made me feel as if I shouldn't exist? For judging me over what my parents apparently did? " Her emotions spilled over. "I'm scared, Daniella! I don't want to face them. They'll never believe us - Marcos'll worm his way out of it somehow. I can't face him." _Or my past..._

"But we have to try!" Daniella insisted. "And none of that's true. Not everyone hates you! Melodia volunteered to raise you when no one else stepped forward, and almost everyone feels sorry for you. Think about them, and their safety. And the other common birds! Marcos'll punish them the moment he becomes leader."

"I..." Emori was torn in two. She wanted to leave, desperately - it would be so easy now that Daniella knew the way. But another part of her wanted to do the right thing, and know the truth. Marcos held the key to her past - if she left, without ever knowing what happened, it would haunt her. But dare she face him?

"I know you - you're not scared of anything. We can do it..." Emori looked hesitantly at Daniella, who had tears in her lavender eyes. "I have to fix this. But I can't do it without you."

She looked into her friend's eyes; part of what Daniella said was wrong. She was scared of things, especially Marcos and his goons, and her past. But she knew in her heart that Daniella was right about everything else. _She doesn't give herself enough credit. She's brave in ways I never will be._ Emori briefly felt reluctance, tempted to flee still - but then, after a long moment, she knew they had to do what was right. "I suppose we can't let Marcos win." After a few moments, Emori smirked. Daniella exhaled in pure relief.

"Thank you." Daniella hugged her friend. "I'm sorry for not saving you sooner..."

"Don't be daft. You saved me - and my ribbon." Emori took the one thing she had of her parents, which was already drying from the wind blowing around them. This brief moment of relief subsided as the mood grew serious. "Come on, then. Let's go save the island." Taking a moment to shake their still-watery feathers, and for Emori to readjust her ribbon to it's rightful place in her head feathers, they then began to head to the grove. They were initially slow due to the impact of the river still wielding it's effects; then they eventually found speed, and were racing there. Emori led the way, her heart lurching with fear - was she about to find out whether her parents were the monsters everyone said they were? _I have to get to Marcos._

"-and then, with one talon brandishing a mighty flaming branch, I clawed the enormous snake with the other!" The elderly kakapo was entertaining some hatchlings, their parents crowded round. From her tree, Anya watched them, for they were illuminated by ignited torchlight.

"Lies!" Shouted a voice, and his audience laughed.

"Who said that? Come on, who was it?" The kakapo challenged.

"You're a flightless bird!" The Turtle dove with the two feather bunches, Leia, pointed out, from the back. Her voice was light and teasing. "You'd topple over, holding a branch while clawing a snake with the other talon!" As the kakapo tried to cover up this plot hole, Anya smiled to herself. Yet she wasn't as relaxed as she should be.

The Socorro dove was just wondering where Marcos was. Her second leader should be here - it was very late. Everyone should be asleep really, but the howling wind and sound of rain on their trees kept them awake. Either that, or because, for some unknowing reason, they were restless like Anya. Why did Anya feel this way? She'd felt restless the day Corey died, when Emori's parents had been found dead, and when Eden had been found, too. Her second leaders seemed to die one after the other, all because of Kehua. That was why she chose Marcos; he could take care of himself and others. He'd had many encounters with the huge creature and escaped...

Anya shivered when a powerful wind blew. She was almost knocked flat by it, for she was so light and frail. She looked in direction of it, eyes squinted. For a moment, she thought she saw Marcos' colourful plumage in the above branches of her tree, but then it disappeared when she blinked.

"Anya!" Called a voice from below. Gylfie was at the end of a hanging basket below, where fire was growing from a pool of wood pieces. "I'm sending this up to you. It's a bit cold tonight." Gylfie flew further up the other vine and hopped into that basket, so her weight pulled the flaming one up as she went down. The fire slowly travelled upwards, toward Anya. She reached forward, so to grab it before Gylfie got out and the fire fell back down. But Anya could grab hold, the air chilled.

Everyone seemed to notice; there was a muttering. But then the temperature really plunged - not physically, but the feeling descended over everybody. A few birds wandered out of their nests, while mother birds began ushering their chicks into their nests. Gylfie got out of the basket before the flaming one could reach Anya, so it fell back down. "Gylfie?" Anya asked, as the Forest Owlet landed next to her.

"Ssh!" Gylfie said, sharply. She was listening, tipping her head this way and that. Looking around, Anya noticed the Laughing owls doing the same - in fact, most of the owls who lived in the grove were tilting their heads. Owls could hear what no other bird could. It was a Golden Masked owl who identified it first. His near-black eyes suddenly flooded with terror.

"Everybody hide!" He screeched.

"What's going on?" Anya demanded. But then her heart plunged as she and the other birds heard. They didn't need owl ears to hear the shrieks of an eagle.

Lorac bursted through the vines that cloaked the main entrance. He looked around with bulging eyes, gasping; then he dived to the side as his pursuer followed. Kehua exploded through the vines. Indra was floundering in his talons, shouting wildly. "This was a mistake! Lorac, help me!" She pleaded; but then Kehua's beak closed down, and Indra's pleas were no more as her shrieks cut off. Lorac stared in shock, for this had never been in the plan.

But then the eagle looked up, and his yellow eyes found the islanders; the eye that wasn't blind lit up with bloodthirsty excitement as he saw the abundance of prey, all around him. Anya watched in horror as Kehua dropped Indra, as the red crest feathers grew bushed as wildness set in. The blue rings around his eyes seemed to glow like that of a ghost. The creature lunged forward with outstretched talons, his ragged black feathers like a cloak.

Outside, sheer moments later, Daniella and Emori approached the grove. But their blood froze as they heard the shrieks of terror up ahead. "No." Daniella whispered, and she went cold. "We're too late."


	32. Two monsters

Daniella and Emori pushed the vines aside, and, through the rain, saw Kehua tearing through the air. The panicked screams of islanders tore at Daniella's heart, which was beating dangerously fast in her chest. Emori was initially speechless; but then she jolted out of the trance. "We've got to help them!" She exclaimed. Suddenly they switched places. Daniella, who had been the determined and brave one on the way there, was now lost and terrified like Emori had been on the short flight. All courage and inspiration from seeing Tia was smothered. "Daniella!" Emori shouted, stiring her to the present. "What do we do?"

Daniella's mind was empty. She tried, and tried. But with her racing heart and the rain pouring down, nothing attached into an idea.

 _How can I tell her I don't know?_ She looked around, desperately. Birds screeched and flew in every direction, and Kehua was a black cloak flying around, following all; he'd been searching for this hideout for years. He knew they all had to come from somewhere, but he had always been thrown off the trail. Now, in the wild excitement of having so much panicking prey before him, he wasn't going to simply catch _one_ and leave. He'd injure or kill all he could. Daniella felt a rush of panic.

"I don't know what to do!" Daniella exclaimed. Emori's yellow and blue eyes flooded with fear. She looked around the grove, but her eyes kept returning to Anya's tree. Emori was searching for Marcos above everything else. The burning sensation returned. Daniella saw where Emori was looking, but it looked as though Marcos hadn't yet committed the deed. Gylfie was frantically trying to usher Anya into the safety of the tree, so she was safe for now. Where was Marcos?

"We need to save the islanders! We need to drive Kehua away..." Emori was looking fearfully at him. Daniella looked out, into the chaos. Nobody was attempting to approach the eagle - they were fleeing, hiding in branches. Kehua knew they were afraid, and he wasn't being challenged. He was going to pick them all out, one by one.

 _They're not defending themselves! They're too scared. They need to band together..._

"We... we need to get them to fight back." Daniella deduced. If they all stood together, fought as one, perhaps they could drive Kehua away. He was too powerful to kill - but they could wound him. "We -" but then there was a screaming. Daniella looked up, and noticed Kehua had found a victim. A male conure of some kind was desperately trying to distract him from the tree trunk, from which Daniella saw hatchlings crammed inside. Kehua kept trying to reach them, the vulnerable chicks irresistible targets.

"Help me!" The conure pleaded, but the other islanders were too frightened to help. The hatchlings looked out in terror, and wailed. Parents shouted for their chicks, but they were too fearful to approach. _If they go up alone, he'll kill them. If he's distracted by a large group..._

"Emori, you have to make them stand together!" Daniella spun round.

"They won't listen to me!" Emori insisted. "Not with what they think of me! They -" but then, before she could protest further, Emori noticed that the male conure was being overpowered; Kehua would reach the chicks. Without thinking she tore across the gap between them, diving under Kehua's wings, into the tree trunk with the hatchlings. They sqeauled in terror, wailed for their parents; they were downy and flightless. Emori desperately looked around, and saw more room at the back of the hollow. "Come on, back up!" Emori pushed against the outer wall of chicks. "Go as far in as possible, okay? Come on!" They blindly stumbled back, falling over one another, squashing themselves into the back of the hollow.

A shriek made Emori look over her shoulder, just in time to see Kehua swipe a talon, and hit the conure brutally hard. The conure flew through the air, hitting a trunk and sliding to the ground, gasping from the blow. Immediately, Kehua's talon shot into the hollow. Emori outstretched her wings and forced herself back, keeping the terrified hatchlings just out of reach. They screamed behind her and so did she, as Kehua's claws raked across the floor as he fumbled for a piece of prey. His claws came closer.

"The chicks!" Screeched voices outside. Daniella saw them flying around, but not interfering. They were clueless. She felt a flash of outrage. All they knew was escape - they never fought back, as evidenced by the vines that allowed them to seek refuge in water. Finally, she knew what she had to do - she tried to shout to gather attention, but she wasn't heard in the chaos. _What do I do?!_

Melodia, as well as a Golden Masked owl, was nearest. Daniella surged forwards, and they saw her approaching. "Daniella!" Exclaimed Melodia, in fear. "Hide! This is no place for a chick!"

"Melodia, listen to me!" Daniella exclaimed. The Sun parakeet looked panicked, but she was listening. "They have to fight back!"

"Are you loco, child?" Melodia spluttered, eyes wide - the owl too looked shocked. "He'll kill us all!"

"He will if we do nothing!" Daniella insisted. "This is the only way! Trust me -" then she heard a familiar scream, and Melodia did too. She realized that Emori was in the tee trunk Kehua was tearing open. "Please! Emori's in there!" Melodia went rigid. She may not have been dedicated, but she was still fond of the orphaned chick she'd volunteered to raise. She momentarily looked panicked - but then determination filled her usually cloudy gaze. Normally, the Sun parakeet was dreamy and distant, but now she was there. She snapped out of the trance, and so did the owl.

"Bastian, get their attention!" Melodia demanded, in a voice that lacked its usual distance; the Golden Masked owl then released the famous shriek his species and their relatives were known for. Many islanders spun round at the ghostly cry. "Everyone, we must fight back!" Protests swept throughout the crowd; they had never faced such a threat. They'd spent their lives evading him and fearing him. Gylfie flew forwards.

"Uses torches!" She exclaimed. "The fire will distract him!" But would it? It was raining heavily. They would soon fizzle out... a few birds looked as though they were about to state this fact, but then Kehua tore open the trunk, exposing Emori and the hatchlings. Suddenly, the parents in the crowd came to their senses. A few launched themselves forwards, squawking protectively for some of the hatchlings in the trunk were theirs.

Kehua noticed the swarm of birds coming his way, and he leapt away from the tree trunk. Emori peered out, eyes ablaze with shock, as Kehua faced a mob of parent birds; the islanders had had the gut to attack him? She was surprised. Emori jolted out of her shock, hearing the hatchlings behind her. "Come on, come on!" She jumped out of the way and beckoned them out. The hatchlings stumbled after her, half paralysed by terror, as the beast screeched sheer feet away. Bastian flew over, a basket held in his talons.

"In you get, kids! Let's get you out of here!" The Golden Masked owl placed the basket down, and the hatchlings began to clamber aboard. Emori began to help, lifting in the smallest ones, and she was joined by the conure, who had recovered from being stunned. Daniella went around the chaos, joining Emori.

"Are you okay?" Daniella asked, heart thudding with fear.

"I'm fine, I'm fine!" Emori insisted, helping the last chick into the basket. Bastian picked up the basket, and took the hatchlings towards the vine entrance. Elderly birds and chicks followed, ushered out by the other islanders; in the shadows, Daniella knew Lorac was hiding. She could make out the currasow, see the suspense in his ice blue gaze. They looked at the battle, and saw, to their horror, that Kehua wasn't showing any sign of leaving. Any scratches his marauders landed were barely felt for he was so immense. Kehua continued to resist, and islanders sprawled from his strikes.

"Wait..." Daniella saw Gylfie. The Forest Owlet had a branch, and was attempting to hit Kehua with it. "If Gylfie's there... who's protecting Anya?" Their stomachs dropped. Looking around Kehua, they saw Marcos through the storm, slinking through the branches of Anya's tree. _No!_

"He's mine!" Emori spat, leaping into flight. Gylfie went sailing over Emori's head as Kehua knocked the little owl way, and Emori had to dodge several birds that were also struck by Kehua's enormous wings. _Emori's going to get herself killed! She can't face Marcos on her own!_

"Emori, don't -" Daniella went to follow, but then something large and black intercepted. Emori flew, alone, to Anya's tree, while Kehua towered over Daniella. The oxygen was sucked out of her lungs as the eagle recognized her; she'd evaded him twice. This time he wasn't letting her get away. Kehua shrieked, and swiped his claws toward her. Before he could strike her, Daniella dived to the right. Kehua swung his head back, but he was swinging his great head around. The islanders stared, seeing how Kehua failed to notice Daniella tentatively hovering a little behind his head, on his right eye. Suddenly, Daniella remembered when she saw the grey mist in it. _The left one's all he has!_

"Go for his good eye!" She exclaimed, and immediately, Kehua swung round, hearing her. The islanders launched themselves forwards, and Daniella leapt out of the way. The islanders went for his face, on his seeing side, targeting the vulnerability. She suddenly remembered Emori. She tried to head to Anya's tree, but islanders initially got in her way. Desperately, she fought through them, and tore through the rain, toward Emori.

Emori landed outside the tree entrance, which had a large, heavy stone covering it to protect Anya from Kehua. But the stone had been pushed aside ever so slightly - it had been replaced. She heard voices inside, as she desperately tried to push the stone - but it was incredibly heavy, and she couldn't fit through the gap. Thunder rumbled ominously overhead, and briefly, lightning lit up the world. It revealed Kehua under a sea of birds, and Emori desperately trying to force her way into the hollow. She frantically put her ear to the gap, praying that Marcos wasn't in there with Anya.

"How did he get in, Marcos? For years, he's never found us! How did he find us today?" Anya's voice was thick with emotion and terror.

"I don't know, Anya." A deadpan voice. A _dangerous_ voice.

"Why are you so calm?" Anya exclaimed, her normally sweet and gentle tone now angry and high-pitched. "Poor Indra just got killed by that monster! She was your friend, was she not? Why are you in here, anyway? You should be -" Silence. "Marcos? What are you doing?" Emori went cold. "Marcos?" Anya said again. Daniella landed next to Emori, about to speak, but she sensed something was terribly wrong, so she remained silent.

"I've been waiting for this." Daniella and Emori stared at one another. Then there was the brutal sound of a body being thrown on the floor.

"Anya!" Daniella shouted, as thunder clapped simultaneously, drowning out her voice.


	33. Tell me

Anya lay in a heap on the floor, clutching her wing. When she'd hit the ground, there had been the sickening crunch of her thin, frail bones. But she was in too much shock to observe the pain. Marcos, the Cuban Red macaw she'd known since he was a hatchling, had just broken one of her wing bones in his brutal shove. His pale green eyes were like ice. "Do you really think I cared about you? About _anyone?"_ Marcos was glaring down at her with disgust. None of his usual cheerfulness or kindness was there. It was pure darkness - Anya felt it cast over her like a choking smoke.

"I-I -" Anya's heart was racing. Dangerously. Anya tried to stagger to her feet, but Marcos knocked her back down. Her blood roared, and she was struggling to breathe. She was so shocked by it all. Marcos, whom she had trusted all her life, was doing this to her. Clutching her chest, Anya dragged herself away, shrinking into the wall. She cowered there, struggling to breathe and believe, as Marcos came closer, the look on his face terrifying her.

"You asked me how Kehua got in. Now do you know?" Marcos was gloating. He enjoyed the look of disbelief on the dove's face, the confusion and terror, for the first time. "Come on, guess!" Anya knew. She utterly knew.

"You did it, didn't you? Why, Marcos?" Anya gasped. Her chest grew painfully tight, and again, she couldn't breathe. Something was terribly wrong with her. Outside, Emori and Daniella desperately shoved at the stone.

"I - can't -" Daniella's feet slided out from beneath her. They both tried to push it aside, but the stone was solid and heavy, like lead.

"Together, okay?" Emori pulled Daniella away, and edged around her so she was closest to the gap. "It only needs a little, and then it'll be large enough! Ready? Now!" With a sharp inhale, Daniella threw her shoulder against the rockface, at the same time as Emori. They heaved, gasped with effort, and the gap widened, enough for one of them to fit through. They continued to push, but Emori then had a full glimpse inside - what she saw terrified her. Emori saw Marcos towering over frail, gasping Anya. Then Marcos had plucked up something from the floor - a stone. An alarm went off in her head - he was about to kill.

"Emori!" Daniella exclaimed, as the Chestnut-Fronted macaw recklessly dived through the gap. Immediately, the stone crashed back, for Daniella couldn't support it on her own. Daniella was outside, while Emori was trapped inside the hollow with a maniac. "No! Emori!" She frantically shoved at the rock, while desperately looking through the gap. Marcos whirled round, and in his shock, dropped the stone. Anya shook, and stared at Emori in bewilderment.

"What?!" Under his colourful plumage he went red with anger. "How did you get out? I drowned you!" Daniella watched through the gap, terrified of what would happen next.

"You've clearly done a great job of it." Emori spat, bitterly. She leapt to Anya's side. "Anya, what did he do?" Anya seized her by the wing, so firmly Emori's wing hurt. Anya was gasping, clutching her chest. "What did you do to her?" Emori whirled round, looking up at Marcos, not letting go of Anya's wing - she then noticed the other looked twisted and wrong half way down the wing. Was Anya having a panic attack? A heart attack? Emori couldn't tell. "Breathe, Anya! Just -" but then she was torn away, and held up by the neck. Marcos' eyes blazed with fury and pure hatred, barely an inch from her own. "This isn't the way!" Emori quoted Daniella, while trying to free herself. "Why couldn't you wait for your time? Anya doesn't deserve to -" Marcos' grasp tightened around her throat, and Emori gasped, trying to pry his wing away.

"She's had it coming for years!" He snapped, eyes ablaze with green flame. "She's celebrated for nothing! Doves are brainless. All she's ever done is sit here in her tree, hiding! Anya is not a worthy leader!"

"That's a lame excuse!" Emori retorted. "Why do you really want to be leader, so desperately?"

"Because who else was going to get rid of the filthy common birds?" Marcos said, cruelly. Anya's brown eyes widened with shock. "Only a leader wields that authority. A second leader can't." But Emori knew there was more.

"Because of what happened to your family? Your species? Cuban Red macaws were destroyed by humans, not other birds!"

"I don't care about the humans!" Marcos hissed. "And it wasn't just them! My father told me himself. When he lived in Cuba, common species invaded. They forced him out, gloated about our misfortune! And when we got off this island to that city your precious Daniella came from, the first thing that welcomed us was a filthy group of common crows! They gloated too, about how our kind faded out. They killed my mother because we were so rare!"

"You -"

"I'm not finished! I watched my mother die in agony, because of those fiendish crows!" Marcos - for the first time - revealed genuine emotion and vulnerability. His voice was thick and filled with the pain of memory. "They attacked, mocking us all for our species! They knew exactly what we were. They took my talon! They plucked out one of my father's eyes! My mother's wounds grew infected, and she died in pain - all because we were the last of our kind!"

Outside, Daniella listened in shock. Suddenly, she felt his pain, and saw it on his face. Crows mobbed birds - they were famous for it. She had a vision, of a Cuban Red macaw chick - his mother, mobbed by a crow, writhing in feverish agony from whatever vile thing a crow had had its beak and claws in before attacking her. "How can my species just wither and die? I won't let common birds like you come in and overun us in our haven, not when they mock and destroy species like me!"

"I'm going to get rid of every common bird on this island! They're all the same, mocking us, branding us weak. Because my parents were so unfortunate, everyone's thought of me as weak and stupid. If I became leader, they'd realize how strong I am!"

"You're paranoid!" Emori choked, for his grasp was still tight. "Everyone looks up to you. They tell heroic stories about you! They drilled it into me, since I was born! Not every common bird is evil!"

"They all are. Out there, they're dark, selfish, and cruel."

"You don't know anything about what's outside!" Daniella shouted, from behind the stone gap. "Crows are famous for mobbing birds! Common species are not all savages - they don't all mock you! You just met the wrong birds!" Marcos turned on Daniella, shouting through the gap.

"You should have left when you had the chance!" He still grasped Emori by the neck. "I'm the leader Alegria needs. They deserve better! I'm doing this for their benefit!" Daniella shouted back.

"If you were so righteous, you'd help Anya and the group, not plot against her, kill Corey and Eden and endanger everyone here by bringing Kehua -"

"He did what?" Whispered a little voice - the heat and panic briefly subsided. Marcos and Emori looked at Anya - Daniella couldn't glimpse the Socorro dove lying on the floor. Whatever was happening to the Socorro dove had paused at the mention of the Harlequin macaw Eden, and Corey, whom had been like a son to her when he were alive. "Marcos. It's not true... tell me it's not true!" But his face said all. Anya began to shake violently, and then she began to gasp for breath again. "You - you were so kind. You comforted me when Eden, when poor Corey were found dead! And all along you slaughtered them!"

"Oh, shut up." Marcos said, without emotion. "It's your own fault, you shrivelled old fruit! I was so helpful, everyone looked up to me, and yet you chose Corey, and then Eden! You're completely - argh!" Marcos grunted, for Emori had reached up with a claw and slashed him across the cheek. Emori fell to the floor, and raced to the stone.

"Dani, get help!" Emori pleaded, but Marcos sank his claws into Emori, hauling her back. He tossed her against the wall, brutally. Daniella heard, and desperately turned, shouting for help - but her pleas went unheard, for more islanders were fighting against Kehua, their claws raining down - they got closer and closer to his good eye. Nobody would reach her, so Daniella looked at the rock, searching, searching, for a new angle. She seized a branch, and worked it under the stone, pushing down. The rock shook ever so slightly, leaning over the edge, over one of the hanging baskets.

"How many times do I have to kill you?" Marcos snarled, towering over Emori. "Three times, I had the chance! Why -"

"Three?" Emori ignored the danger - she hated him so much she didn't care how much she insulted him. "Work on your maths! The first time was when you lured Kehua to me and Daniella, and the second, when you threw me in the river!" Anya was hearing every word. She was struggling to rise, but her injured wing and chest pain stopped her.

"No, it was three!" Marcos snapped, forgetting Emori didn't know. "When you were a hatchling, you stupid -" suddenly a memory rose within her, so vividly, it were as though it slapped her across the face. Emori drew in a shuddering breath, her memories beginning to flow back. Her heart pulsed as she remembered seeing her mother's tear-stained face, as she remembered Marcos, covered in blood. No shrieks of Kehua, who had apparently killed Costia and Embry. Emori could hear him shrieking now, outside the tree, but his calls weren't in her early memory.

 _Kehua wasn't there. Marcos was._

"Costia and Embry." She whispered, and from where she was using a branch to lever the rock, Daniella froze to listen. It was so silent, one could have heard a feather drop. Emori was breathing hard. "I know you were there, Marcos. I'll ask again. What happened to my parents?" Marcos looked away, refusing - but then Emori screamed, making Anya and Daniella, still outside, jump. _"Tell me!"_ Emori shrieked, her blood, her skin, on fire. Marcos slowly shook his head, as if in disapproval. He could lie - but he had already made one too many gaps in his fake story.

"Alright." He said, curtly. "Do you think knowing the truth will make any of this better? Heal you? You'll only die miserable." His eyes burned. "Fine, but I warned you."


	34. Ghost of memory

_"Fly, Costia! Get out of here, go!" Embry had managed to say before the main artery in his neck had been clawed through. Then, blinded by terror and grief, Costia had gathered her most precious possession and fled._

 _Costia now flew through the rainforest, the wind whipping her skin, the rain battering her from all angles. The rain soaked her, hiding the river of tears which wouldn't stop. Behind her, a taunting voice drew closer. She was tired, stricken by the horror and grief of what she'd witnessed. Her beloved Embry, laying there in a pool of blood, his killer standing over him - now she was being chased. He said he couldn't let her tell what she'd seen, let her live with the secret._

 _That precious possession was grasped tightly in her talons, squirming against the rain and the wind. Emori was barely a few days old - too young to speak, understand, or even do much more than crawl a few inches. She was Costia's priority, and despite the grief she felt for Embry, Costia knew she had to focus on keeping Emori safe. Costia held her closer, to try and protect her from the rain. What would her pursuer do, once he caught her? Costia knew. He wasn't planning on letting her go alive. But what about Emori? What would he do to her?_ _Costia didn't know whether he would harm someone so young. But after what she'd seen him do to Embry, she didn't know the answer. She didn't want to find out._

 _Costia heard his voice. "Get back here! You've got no where to go! They'll never believe you!" She'd never trusted him from the start, and now she knew he was a cold-blooded killer. He'd killed Corey, and framed Embry for it - disguised in mud, he'd attacked Embry on the same day, to rough him up. Embry had returned to the grove, covered in blood and claw marks, and Corey had been found dead with Embry's feathers placed in his claws by the real killer. Anya had then exiled Embry, and of course, Costia had gone with him with little Emori in tow. They'd been talking, determined to clear their name - but the killer had felt it too dangerous to let them live._

I'm not getting away. _Costia knew that. Deep in her heart, she knew she had little time left. Her gasping lungs and aching body told her so. There was no escape - he'd catch up to her, or she'd pass out from exhaustion. She'd fall, with Emori in her grasp._ I have to make a choice. _Costia made a sharp turn, diving into some vines - she was small, so she got through easily. But her pursuer, larger and frustrated, had to tear at the wall between them. Costia, hidden in a tree, cradled Emori. She found a small dip in the trunk, and, heart breaking, placed Emori in it. She couldn't bear the thought of him harming the one thing left she loved._

 _Emori wriggled in the space, reaching for her mother and sqeauking in confusion, for there was no longer any warmth. It was cold, wet, and smelt of rotting wood, nothing like her mother's soft, sandalwood scent or her father's leafy one. Where was her father? She'd heard his voice, but had shrank away at the metallic tang of blood. In distress, Emori began to wail. "Hush, Emori!" Costia pleaded. She looked around, aware she had little time, before reaching into the dip. Emori's cries faded as she felt Costia's feathers against her face, and snuggled against it with a happy sigh. Costia's heart swelled with love._ _She wept through closed eyes, covered her beak with a wing and shook._

 _"Always know that I love you. That your daddy loved... I mean, loves you." Costia's heart continued to break as Emori looked up at her with confused, beautiful yellow eyes, with blue flaring out from the iris like a blooming flower. She whispered a lullaby in a singsong voice, further contenting Emori. Costia took the pink ribbon from her head feathers, and fastened it around Emori's left talon. Emori felt the smooth trail, little talons wrapped tight around it. She went to look back up, but then she realized that her mother was gone. Emori felt around the cold space - but then she heard squawking._

 _"You framed us! Corey and Embry were friends!"_

 _"I needed someone to blame -" but then this male voice turned into a screech as Costia lunged. Her talons carved into his belly, clawing him from belly to neck. But then the petite Chestnut-Fronted macaw was struck in return - in the neck, the same artery cut that had killed Embry. Costia's screams cut off as she fell to a branch, dead. The scent of blood reached Emori, and she began to cry out._

 _But then darkness descended - not just from the moon sinking behind a cloud, but from a dark bird who had just gone on the dark path of no return. He had just killed an innocent mother. And now, Marcos was staring down at the squirming chick, with enormous green eyes, covered in Embry and Costia's blood. His own blood dripped to the wood beneath his feet, carving red streams into his orange plumage. Emori could smell it, and she was frightened - the smell of death, and she was alone with it._

 _Marcos looked around, in panic. The chick's eyes were open, fixed on him - covered in her parents' blood. She must have heard Costia scream. What could he do? He hesitantly reached into the dip, scooping out Emori. Emori shrank back, wriggling in his grasp. Although he was warmer than the dip, his scent, his icy, uneasy eyes, and the wet red liquid he was splattered with frightened her. She desperately tried to free herself, while in his mind, Marcos debated whether he could let her live. How much had she seen? For some reason,_ _he was drawn to the edge of the branch. He peered over, staring into the darkness - the drop was enormous. He glanced at the downy chick wriggling in his grasp. It would be quick, and nobody would ever know..._

 _Marcos slowly extended his wings, so Emori was dangling precariously over the forest floor. He shook slightly, reluctant. Emori stared at him with enormous yellow and blue eyes, flooded with fear. Marcos looked into them, trying to avert his gaze, but he couldn't. As much as he despised common species... could he bring himself to harm someone so young? This innocent bystander?_ Her kind disgusts me, _Marcos tried to remind himself. The Cuban Red macaw shook his head, torn - but then his decision was made for him._

 _"Marcos!" Marcos leapt back from the edge, clasping Emori to himself - she struggled violently. "We heard Costia scream... what -" Melodia, at the head of a group, halted at the sight of them. She saw Costia laying on a branch, motionless. "My stars. Costia!" Half of the group raced to her, crowding round, while the other half came to Marcos._

 _"What happened?" Bastian stared._

 _"Kehua." Marcos gasped, the first thing he thought of. "I just managed to get Emori... but I couldn't get to Costia... is she...?" He swayed, leaning on Bastian for support, knowing what the answer would be. He kept his gaze on the ground as Melodia, in a shaking voice, whispered that Costia was dead._

Daniella's breath was stuck. She tried to inhale, but she couldn't. _He told me he got that scar saving Costia. But she gave it to him, protecting Emori!_ Emori was rigid, frozen in time. She remembered everything - every detail. She felt her mother's fear. She remembered seeing her father in a pool of blood, with Marcos standing over him. Her mother, tying the ribbon around her leg, and a scream cut off. All she remembered, the blood, the terror, the love, and the heartbreak.

"It was you. My father, my mother! You're the reason they're dead!" Something within Emori erupted. "All along, you've been insisting I was abandoned, and left to die! You knew I wasn't! I've been tortured my whole life being told they were heartless and selfish, that you're some grand hero who I should be grateful to, and the whole time you killed them! You tried to kill _me!"_ Emori dreaded to think what Marcos would have done if the patrol hadn't found them in time. That was why, when he had held over that rushing river, she had thought it familiar. She was remembering when he'd prepared to drop her over the forest floor.

"I couldn't just let them spill my secret -"

"You're a monster." Marcos turned, seeing Anya. She was still gasping, but she was on her feet. "I exiled an innocent family because of you!"

"That's it, I'm getting this over with!" Marcos moved toward Anya, and she tried to run - but she was so weak, her chest hurting. After barely a few steps, she tumbled down, and lay, twitching. Marcos lunged, but before he could touch her, Emori sprang forward with a shriek of anger. Marcos leapt up, and began furiously trying to shake her off. Daniella saw through the gap, and her heart lurched - but she saw a stream of moonlight shining in, near the back of the ceiling. A hole, in the back of the trunk. Leaving the branch jabbed under the stone, Daniella raced around to the back. As she did, she heard Kehua release an ear-splitting shriek; looking over her shoulder, she saw Gylfie's enormous claws rake over Kehua's good eye.

Emori's little claws scratched into Marcos. Her hatred fuelled her, as she thought of Embry being ambushed and killed, her mother fleeing in terror while Marcos followed relentlessly. "Why did you choose them? Of everybody!"

"They were new and isolated. Nobody would think someone they knew would possibly kill Corey. And your father was pathetic!" He said, viciously, trying to shake her off.

"You just wanted to get rid of them!" Emori remembered seeing the three claw marks on Costia - three instead of four, for a bird with a missing talon had struck. How had she not put two and two together? Marcos grew frustrated, and then he hissed in pain when Emori clawed the scar made by Costia.

"That's _enough!"_ Marcos swiped out with a powerful wing. Emori went flying, crashing into the wall. She slid down it, eyes closed.

"No!" Daniella had found the hole in the tree trunk. Now, she was wriggling through it, into the hollow. She rushed to Emori's side, trying to wake her, but Emori had hit her head on solid wood. Her eyelids twitched, but she didn't rise. She whipped round, and, to her horror, saw Marcos. He was staring at her with a murderous glint in his eyes.

"You pulled her from the river, didn't you?" Daniella knew the streaks of river mud through her still-damp feathers gave it away. With a shriek, she dived up to the gap, and Marcos lunged after her, forcing his way through it, tearing chunks of wood away until he was outside.

Back in the hollow, Emori rose her head slightly, roused by squawks. Groaning and holding her head with a wing, Emori shifted to a sitting pose. She slowly looked up, and realized that Marcos and Daniella were gone. Her head spun with memories, but then she saw a brown figure lying a few feet away. "Anya..." Emori stumbled over. Anya was sprawled on the ground, her wing still crumpled like a leaf, her chest barely rising and falling. She rushed to Anya's side, crouching near her face, for Anya had whispered something. "What?"

"I said... go." Anya murmured. "Save her. I'll be alright..." Emori hesitated. But then Anya spoke again. "Wait. Help me outside, Emori..." Emori blinked, puzzled. "Please."

Daniella scrabbled through the branches, half climbing and half flying through the thick leaves and vines of Anya's tree. From a distance it seemed as though the tree was normal, but in the heart, it was wild and overgrown with vines all over the place. Behind, Marcos' claws slashed for her. He was barely inches behind her. Daniella briefly lost her footing and slid downwards, bark scraping her face; she frantically scrabbled out of reach just in time, Marcos' talons scoring across the wood. Her claws scraped his face as she scratched to escape, and his eyes turned poisonous.

Daniella pushed knots of vines behind her, to try and slow Marcos down, but he dodged almost all of them. She fought her way through the tangles of Anya's tree - then she found herself plummeting, down. Before she could regain her flight, the breath was crushed out of her as she landed, hard, outside the still-covered entrance. The stick remained, shoved, under the heavy stone, from where she'd failed to move it.

Marcos appeared above, spotting her. With a hiss, he leapt down. Daniella stumbled backwards, falling over onto her back. She frantically sat up and backed away from Marcos. He stopped, about a foot from her. "Why are kids so interfering?" He glared. "Why couldn't you just leave, like I asked? You've ruined everything!" Daniella cowered in fear, wondering if she could still fix this.

"I know you lost your parents. But this isn't what they -" _Not his father. He fuelled Marcos' hatred for birds like Emori... but surely even he wouldn't approve?_ "They wouldn't want you to do these terrible things!"

"They're dead - they're gone!" Marcos snapped. "And your words mean nothing to me!" Emori heard their voices, as she emerged from the tangled tree heart. She watched, in horror, as Marcos advanced towards Daniella. But then, she realized there was the smell of something burning - she stiffled a cough. The smell of smoke hit her, and she spotted a basket of fire several feet below Marcos; the one Gylfie had been sending up to Anya before Kehua had arrived. Her eyes travelled along the vines, from the flaming basket to where it connected to the empty one just below her. She glanced at the heavy stone blocking Anya in her hollow, noticing the stick jammed beneath. So did Anya.

Daniella shrank away, wondering if she could still save him from his chosen path. Could she guide him back to the light? After all he'd done, she doubted it, but she tried anyway. "The dead aren't gone, Marcos. They still exist, in here!" Daniella pointed to her chest. She clearly remembered Tia's words - she felt her there, in her heart. She didn't hear Tia's voice now - she was on her own. "Your mother and father are still with you. This isn't what they want. Do you really want this to be your kind's legacy?" Marcos' eyes flashed.

"What happened to your parents was... inexcusable and unforgivable. I understand that. But that was one group of crows. They're no microcosm." One of the last complex words her mother had told her about before their separation. "A single group of crows who mock rare species don't represent the bigger picture. But there's still a chance of fixing all this! What you've done is in the past. All that matters is what you will do next." She stared at Marcos, pleadingly, hoping - his eyes even held reluctance, and a tiny bit of regret. But then, it faded away. All she saw was rejection and disbelief. Her heart sank.

"A play on my emotions won't change any of this." Marcos bristled. His eyes exploded with rage, and his voice rose, to a shout. "I've already killed four birds! They're especially not going to forgive me for killing Corey and Eden!" He forgot the islanders. They peered out from adjacent trees, the nearest ones turned away from Kehua at the sound of their second leader. They heard it all. Horror spread like a disease, and an older, female Harlequin macaw that looked like Eden began to wail. Realizing his mistake, Marcos lost it. He rose his talon, the claws outstretched.

"Daniella! Move!" Shouted a voice - blindly, Daniella leapt backwards, into some vines. The stone tipped over. It momentarily balanced on the ledge of the tree entrance - before gravity got it's way. It plummeted, straight into the empty basket, which shot towards the ground. The vine blurred as the flaming basket shot upwards on the opposite end, colliding with the branch beneath Marcos. The branch, wet from rain dripping through the canopy, didn't catch fire - but Marcos was dry enough.

Flame rushed up Marcos' tail, and spread to his belly. His damp wings didn't quite catch fire, but it scorched into his front, igniting feathers that were dry. Marcos released a blood-curdling screech, as his orange and red feathers blended into the blazing light. He dived out of the sheltered tree, flying blindly into the pouring rain. Islanders scattered to avoid the fire, shrieking - for a long time, Marcos floundered in the rain, his shrieks growing less loud as the water began extinguishing the fire. The flames died, but as soon as this happened, the islanders rushed in from all angles, seizing the traitor with unforgiving claws.

Daniella stared from the vines, tangled physically and mentally. She barely felt the rain dripping from overhead, or Emori's shaky wing on her's. "Daniella. Daniella... let me help you out." Daniella stumbled out of the vine jungle, steadied by Emori. They looked at one another - and then at Anya, who lay with closed eyes, by the stick that Daniella had left jammed under the stone.

"She asked me to help her lean on the lever." Emori whispered.


	35. The last night on Alegria

Melodia stared at Marcos, a succulent plant in her talons. She looked at his burns, but didn't move forward to treat them. Shaking slightly, she left the soothing plant at his feet, before darting back as if he were made of poison. _He is made of poison._ She then hurried back to Anya's tree, disappearing. Hardly anyone had uttered a word to Marcos. Lorac, Taj, and two female birds were near him, but not speaking to the Cuban Red macaw. Daniella and Emori had told Gylfie and Melodia who Marcos was working with, and so Lorac had been seized from the entrance. Taj had been seized from outside, where he had been waiting for Marcos. The two females had been found hiding outside with Taj - Indra wasn't alive to pay for her part. Kehua had punished her in the most terrible way.

"Are you both alright?" Gylfie asked, quietly, as she passed. Gylfie's talons were still streaked red from where she'd struck Kehua. In the moments after the Forest Owlet had raked her long talons over Kehua's good eye and blood had turned the blue eye ring red, something bizarre had happened. Kehua had been shrieking like a bird possessed, swinging his head around wildly - and no matter how close they flew, Kehua had failed to see them. Following this, his shrieks had fallen to small cries, as if he were moaning or sobbing, and then he'd fled through the trees, bumping into every tree but not stopping. It had been almost an hour since Kehua had fled the grove - blinded, he wouldn't be back anytime soon. Ever. He was a threat to the islanders no more.

"We're fine." Daniella said. She and Emori hadn't moved from Melodia's tree branch since - the cup of flower tea, a certain flower soaked in water heated by flame, was clasped tightly in Emori's wings, untouched. Daniella's own cup lay empty, for she had needed something warm and comforting, even if it tasted bizarre and she hadn't liked it. In the past hour, countless birds had passed by - birds who had once been uncomfortable towards Emori, who had treated her like a freak. They'd apologized to her - for what happened to her parents, and, most of all, for how they'd treated her during her whole life.

After helping Anya back into her hollow and leaving her in Melodia's care, Gylfie had called the islanders together - Anya had shared words with her, so Gylfie could share the truth with everybody. Speaking on Anya's behalf, Gylfie had told the islanders the whole story - how Marcos had framed Costia and Embry for Corey's murder, and killed them. How Costia had sacrificed herself to protect her chick, how Marcos had killed Corey and Eden in an attempt to become second leader and then planned to assassinate Anya, all in a botched attempt to prove he was powerful, and to kick common birds out of a sanctuary.

Throughout it all, Marcos hadn't said a word. He'd kept his head down, but he'd been trembling in agony - his feathers were black, his skin red raw from flames. He was in such pain nobody could stand the sight of him - even Gylfie had whispered to Melodia to get him something to reduce his agony. The rain, which fell softly now, had extinguished the fire before it had spread to his wings, so he could still fly. Now, his tail was half it's original length, his eyes glazed with pain - and, under that, rage. Rage at his failure, and above all, at Daniella and Emori. His poisonous stare was fixated on them.

Marcos had had restraint before. A trace of what, to humans, was known as humanity. It had stopped him killing Daniella to keep her silence, made him reluctant to drop Emori, then a helpless hatchling, to her death. It had made him reconsider his actions, that moment in Anya's tree. But it was gone now. His eyes were raw, wild, dangerous. His heart was cold, now as scarred as his scorched skin.

The islanders, if they weren't hissing or glaring at Marcos and his group, were whispering in fear. Anya hadn't been seen since she'd been spotted, unconscious, outside her hollow. Nobody knew why Anya was so weak - her wing was injured, but it wasn't fatal. She'd been shoved over several times, but there didn't seem to be any other damage. Maybe it was something to do with how she'd clutched her chest and gasped for breath when Marcos had revealed his betrayal. Melodia had muttered something about shock and an attack of some kind. Melodia, Gylfie and Anya's most trusted friends were with her now. There was movement at Anya's hollow - every islander drew in a sharp inhale, but it wasn't Anya. All of Anya's closest friends, except for Melodia.

The islanders gathered. Daniella and Emori looked on from their branch; Daniella's wing had remained wrapped around her friend the entire time. Anya's friends - Gylfie at the head - now perched on a branch above the disgraced group. Marcos sat separately, while Lorac, Taj and the two females were staring at him with narrowed eyes. He'd failed miserably, and now he wasn't associating with them. He'd refused to speak to any of them, and Indra's death didn't bother him. If his heart had had any care in it before, it was now dead.

"Anya has made her decision." Said Gylfie. She looked steadily at Marcos, Lorac, Taj and the two females - but her beak quivered and her eyes were full of pure betrayal and disgust. "You are all to leave the grove immediately. You are never to come back to the grove - you are banished to the North side of the island." Her gaze hardened. "Never come back."

"You can't do this!" Shouted Lorac. "It was Marcos, all along! He promised us -" The outraged shrieks of the crowd drowned his protests out.

"You didn't have to plot with him! If you were loyal, you'd tell us what he was planning!" Leia shrieked. The islanders swarmed forwards, forcing them to move, driving them toward the entrance with hisses and squawks, and then claws. Lorac, Taj and the two females bolted together, while Marcos was slower. Islanders lashed with talons, and he struggled with the pain of his burns. He flew well enough; but then his pale stare fixed on Daniella and Emori, plunging them in ice. His face couldn't have painted a clearer picture of hatred - and a sinister promise. _You haven't seen the last of me,_ it vowed _._ Then Marcos disappeared into the jungle. The islanders' cries of victory rang around the grove, but Daniella and Emori didn't celebrate.

"Emori. Are you okay?" Daniella asked. Emori had been silent for the whole time. Rocking slightly, her eyes filled with tears and emotions that refused to spill. Marcos, who had killed her parents, was gone. Time passed, and it was at least a minute before Emori answered.

"I'm fine." Emori whispered. Daniella knew she wasn't. She opened her beak, but then there was the flutter of wings. Melodia made an appearance, landing on the branch.

"My darlings, come with me."

"Why?" Daniella asked, in a small voice.

"Anya wants to speak to you." For some reason tears swam in the Sun Parakeet's golden eyes, and her beak trembled. Daniella and Emori looked at one another, but they both knew why Melodia was this emotional.

They entered Anya's hollow, which was dimly lit with a slender flaming twig. Anya had been moved to her nest - with the fluffy moss and feathers, she looked comfortable, but the pain was clear on her face. Gylfie looked at them as they entered the hollow, amber eyes full of emotion. A coconut shell of water was next to her, but Anya hadn't touched it, or the berries that lay in a woven leaf bowl. Anya was propped up with moss, the only sign of life being her unsteady chest, rising and falling quickly. Her wing wasn't in a splint or even bound by leaves - it was extra cushioned with moss.

"Please, Anya... let me give you a splint, or something..." Melodia tried.

"I don't need it." Anya murmured, without opening her eyes. "It's unnecessary pain." Daniella and Emori cautiously crouched next to Anya, wondering why she had summoned them. Anya turned her head toward them - her eyes were fixed on Emori. "I'm so sorry." She whispered, eyes flooded with regret and anguish of past mistakes. "I believed Marcos that day. I exiled your innocent parents because I believed his lies." Emori looked at the ground, tears in her eyes.

"It's alright. It wasn't your fault... it was him." Emori said no more, but she said 'him' with pure resentment. Daniella looked at her friend; it wasn't healthy to keep it all bottled up, was it? Emori didn't share her emotions easily, Daniella knew that. Emori had never told Daniella how she was feeling, after finding out the heartbreaking truth. _I have to talk to her after this is over... who knows how she's feeling?_ Anya's eyes travelled to Daniella.

"I'm sorry, too. Perhaps I should have told you the way back to the mainland when you arrived... then you wouldn't have gotten mixed up with this. Do you know the way back, now? His father told me, years ago..." Daniella nodded to show she knew.

"I do know. But it's a good thing you didn't. If you did, maybe I'd have left, and I wouldn't have been here to hear his plan... and I wouldn't have gotten to know Emori. She's my only friend." Daniella glanced again at the Chestnut-Fronted macaw, who looked back, a little warmth creeping back into her dull gaze.

"Not only." Anya smiled a little - then she sighed deeply. "Perhaps now you two can go. Go _home."_ Home. The word flowed smoothly over Daniella's tongue. There was nothing she wanted more, than to be home with her family. Bia, Azure, Leo... "You must go." Anya urged. "I wish I'd had the chance to go home. My birthplace may have been torn apart by greed and fighting..." Daniella blinked; she'd never known this. "...but it was still precious to me. My home." Emori's eyes casted down at the word, uncertain. Anya tilted her head, as if reading her mind. "Your parents came from Brazil, Emori. That's what they told me."

"They did?" Emori looked up, eyes widening - emotion filled them. Daniella looked at Emori; she was from Brazil - technically Emori was too. Perhaps that was part of why they had a connection. "I... I just wish I'd known them better."

Anya's eyes filled with memory. "You're so much like your father in spirit. He was always the rebellious and brave one. But you look so much like your mother... she was warm and bright. They loved you, more than you will ever know. They told me they got the greatest gift the day you were born." Anya closed her brown eyes, looking peaceful. "I just hope they can forgive me." A breeze blew in as Anya exhaled, taking something away with it when it faded. There was a long silence when Melodia pressed her talon to Anya's neck - it was confirmed as she began to weep. The birds in the room drew in shuddering breaths, ones of horror and disbelief. Daniella momentarily wondered why Anya's chest was taking so long to rise - before it dawned upon her that she would be waiting a very long time.

"Girls..." Gylfie's beak trembled. "Go get some rest... Anya's too tired to talk." Daniella and Emori stared at Anya, unmoving - then the elderly kakapo, with tears in his eyes, demanded that they go. Daniella stared at Anya once more, before somehow moving her feet. She tugged on Emori's wing, pulling her outside. The pair left the hollow in stunned silence, knowing full well that Anya was dead.

A few hours later, they lay in Melodia's hammock, where she had offered them to stay. Daniella gazed at the wall, unable to look outside which blazed amber and yellow - the woven casket which held Anya burst into flame, and music broke out from the islanders' flutes and grass banjos. Stars glittered overhead, bright and beautiful like the fire which danced wildly, warm and untamed. But the weight of the eventful night crushed the grove. Islanders wept, mourning the loss of their beloved leader who had ruled for so long. The smell of smoke hung in the air, heavy, yet somehow comforting.

"Anya was a wonderful leader and individual." Melodia's voice, thick with emotion, reached Daniella. "She built us - she established our community, has kept us safe and content for many years. These years have not been easy... but, throughout, she has always kept the peace. She was born on an island torn apart by war and anger, and she was... petrified of that happening here. That's why she named it Alegria. She named it for her sister, and in hope that an island named for joy would indeed be full of happiness and peace. She will never be forgotten." Daniella blocked it out, staring at the ceiling with lavender clouded eyes. The sight of Anya had clawed at her heart, while the sight of Marcos bursting into flame had terrified her. The weight of failure was heavy on her shoulders.

"We've failed, Daniella." Emori said, spontaneously. Daniella had thought her asleep, but when she looked at her friend, she saw Emori's tears swimming in her eyes. They were lying in the hammock at opposite ends, so they faced one another. "After everything... Anya's dead. Marcos won." Daniella couldn't believe Anya was all Emori was thinking about, after what she had learned about her parents. _I feel like we've failed too. But..._

"He didn't win, Emori." Daniella said. She blinked repeatedly, fighting glossy eyes, but failing. "He's banished. Anya... she didn't die at his talons. She died doing what was right - to protect her island. She died a hero. At least she's in no more pain." But Emori barely acknowledged this.

"If only we were there sooner." Emori turned over, back to Daniella. Her heart sank like a stone in water.

"Emori... what about your parents?" Silence. "Please talk to me. I have to know you're okay." Emori's eyes remained shut - she looked asleep, but Daniella knew falling asleep that quickly just wasn't possible, no matter how tired you were. She watched Emori, who was curled up tight, clearly not ready to talk. She looked outside, where the fire continued to crackle, Anya in her casket consumed by flame. She was reminded of Marcos, and suddenly, the fire's comforting warmth faded, and she felt cold. She looked at the fire with unease. The flame hadn't destroyed his wing feathers - when she'd watched him go, he'd been flying relatively well. And the look he'd given them had been that of pure malice - his eyes had said it all. _I will find you._

 _Marcos is banished... he's gone._ But uncertainty gnawed at her. _Right?_


	36. Bright and beautiful

Emori's heart raced. She was a chick again - back in Costia's talons, Embry lying dead at Marcos' talons. She screamed in terror, fighting against Costia, but she was trapped, then alone in a tree hollow dip. Costia's screams tortured her. _"No! No!"_ the world spun, her blood roared, as Emori covered her head and cried out.

"Make it stop!" Emori wailed, and suddenly the noise faded. She no longer felt damp tree bark beneath - it was soft, warmed by sunlight. She hesitantly opened her eyes, and realized with a jolt that she was lying on sand. She raised her head, staring along the beach - it was unfamiliar, prettier, than the beach surrounding Alegria. And that was saying something, since the Alegria beach was stunning. This beach seemed too beautiful to be real, the cerulean of the sky richer, the sand ivory, littered with white and pink conch shells. Seawater washed up the beach, and Emori moved forwards, to the shore. She saw fish darting about the liquid crystal, splotches of colour indicating a coral reef. Her heart fluttered like a butterfly, and then, a strange sound made her turn, like a shining noise.

A bright light appeared before her, several feet away. It was blinding, so much so, she had to shield her eyes. Then, it drew back. Blinking away the fuzzy mist that appeared when one was looking in too bright sunshine, Emori struggled to make out the figure standing a few feet before her. When the fuzziness cleared, Emori realized that she was looking at familiar face - only there was no grief, fear, tears or clawmarks. The most beautiful female macaw Emori had ever seen knelt before her, gazing down at her with soft, yellow eyes. "Hello, Emori." Her head feathers were tied back with a familiar pink ribbon, but when Emori instinctively reached up, she still felt her ribbon in her own head feathers.

There was another blaze of light, this one, male with blue eyes: like the blue blooming from around Emori's pupil, flowering against the soft yellow. Her wings dropped to her sides, her eyes widened as she faced these two - not quite - strangers. The male had a sweet smile, with dimples - like her own smile. "You're just as beautiful as I remember." He said, in a voice warmer than the sun. Emori was suddenly incredibly shy. She stammered a couple of times, before managing to get a real sentence out.

"Hello." Emori said, shyly. She felt like a hatchling trying to make friends for the first time, awkward and just a little scared. Costia extended a wing, to lift her chin, a tearful smile on her face. Emori looked from Costia to Embry, not caring whether this was real, or happening inside her head. She exclaimed two words, for the first time in her life: mom, dad. Costia swept her off the floor, sweeping her in an arc through the air, before holding her, tight, to her chest. Embry's wings enveloped the both of them, so Emori was surrounded by her mother and father's embrace. Their scent was exactly as she remembered - Costia, of sandalwood, Embry, of dew-dipped leaves.

It was there that Emori finally understood the meaning of being at peace.

 _Morning_

The sun crept higher toward the middle of the sky, for noon wasn't far away. While the grief of Anya's demise weighed upon the grove, the sunshine had lifted it slightly. This morning was literally dazzling - the sunlight hit every rain-soaked leaf, every drop of water hanging off a stalk, scattering tiny rainbows everywhere and making everything appear wonderfully bright. The sky was azure, clear and the breeze light - ideal for flying across the sea.

Somehow everyone knew Daniella and Emori were leaving - islanders had come over to wish them luck and safe travels. It was probably one of Anya's friends who had been there to hear their conversation with the Socorro dove who had spread the message. Daniella was replaying the fire in her mind. Bidding farewell to the dead was different here - Alegrians cremated their dead. Back in the Amazon, the deceased were buried deep in earth, and covered with a sea of petals from every tribe member. The grave was marked with a flat stone, carved with their name. Daniella had been shown Tia's burial spot, and the graves of Sophia's parents, Zenaida and Andre. Here, in Alegria, Anya's ashes had been scattered into the ocean that morning.

Daniella felt better after sleeping the rest of the night away in Melodia's hammock. As they'd slept so late, it was a good thing Melodia had woken her and Emori up in case they slept into the afternoon. They'd been woken to the smell of fragrant flower tea and sweet fruit, although Daniella had politely declined the offer of the strange tasting tea, after drinking it last night. The sweetness of coconut water lingered in her beak, as she gazed upon the busy grove.

Now, she noticed more common species out and about. They usually stayed away from grove out of fear of discrimination, but this was over now. Marcos was gone, and they had nothing to fear. The community was becoming real - Daniella felt a swell of pride, and for once, it didn't sink back down. The sound of grass banjos sounded, and birds were repairing the havoc Kehua had caused. Nest material and branches were being lifted from the hanging baskets. Despite their grief for Anya, they were repairing themselves.

"Daniella, where's Emori?" A voice surprised her. Ash, the young Hawaiian crow, was standing before her. She looked at him, suspicious after their last encounter, after all he'd said. But Ash was looking full of shame, his claws shuffling. "I... I just wanted to apologize, for being... er..." _A jerk?_ "An idiot." She was incredibly surprised, after everything - but she wasn't going to let the opportunity pass. She gave him a half smile.

"Wait here. I'll get her." Daniella flew through the branches of the tree, where she'd seen Emori go not long before. She eventually found her, at the top, overlooking the island for the last time. The coral pink of her ribbon fluttered carelessly in the breeze, as did her feathers. Emori was faced toward the north side of the island, the sea rich and blue. There was no sign of a boat yet; they hadn't missed it. Daniella approached her cautiously, for they hadn't really spoken since falling asleep the night before.

"I can't believe this is the last day." Emori said, without turning round. "The last day I'll be here." Daniella smiled, but it didn't travel to her eyes. She moved forwards, sitting next to Emori. "Before you say something, I'm fine." Was she?

"Emori, don't shut me out." Daniella tilted her head, only to have stripes of black hanging over her eyes. She shook her head; her black head feathers had grown longer since arriving here. Now, they fell about a centimetre past the bottom of her neck, when before they'd just fallen to the shoulders. She liked it - they were longer than Roberto's now. "Honestly. Are you okay?"

"I am." Daniella went to protest, but then, when Emori turned to face her, she realized that her eyes weren't full of the torture she'd seen last night. To Daniella's surprise, they were full of tranquillity. As if a weight she had carried her whole life had been lifted. "You're going to think I'm crazy but... I saw my parents. I dreamt of them." Daniella stared at Emori. "I know, it sounds mad." _No. It doesn't._

"Well, it sounds wonderful to me, seeing... someone who's left you." Daniella's smile finally spread to her eyes. "It's not mad. I know." Emori tilted her head.

"Uh... you didn't come back, so..." Ash's awkward voice made them turn around. Emori glanced at Daniella questioningly, for Ash was one of their least favourite birds. "I just wanted to apologize, Emori. For... being a major jerk." Ash's dark eyes were full of guilt. "I'm really sorry about your parents, and for everything I've said to you. I hope you have a great life where you're going." Daniella wondered if Emori would forgive him. Ash had been out of line so many times, and she didn't think Emori was a very forgiving bird.

"Thank you, Ash." Emori made a small smile, which Ash returned. Daniella blinked in pleasant surprise.

"Girls, the time's getting on! Your destiny awaits!" Melodia was back to her slightly crazy self, despite still mourning for her dearly departed friend and leader. The Sun Parakeet's head appeared. "Come on, you don't want to miss the boat! And our new leader has something to say before you leave."

Daniella and Emori followed Melodia out of the tree, while Ash flew over to his parents. The islanders seemed to have all gathered. Gylfie disliked being called a leader, but everyone had turned to the Forest Owlet after Anya died. Her eyes were full of admiration at the sight of Daniella and Emori, as they landed before her. "We have so much to thank you girls for. You both saved our island - you've been so brave. Emori, your parents..." Gylfie looked emotional for a moment, for she had been close to Costia and Embry. "They would be so proud."

The islanders, surprisingly, began to cheer. Emori's skin flushed pink; she had once been ignored or even feared by these birds for her parentage. But now they had proven that Costia and Embry were innocent, and now Emori smiled bravely. "Melodia will escort you to the North beach. And, Daniella, we've restored something of yours. It's not exactly how it was... but we thought you could always have a reminder of Alegria." Leia moved forward - she held up a purple stone on a slender necklace, formed from a thin string of tightly woven coconut fibres, the fibres weaving through the hole in the amethyst to keep it tight. Daniella's heart leapt.

"My necklace..." Daniella couldn't believe it, as Leia tied it back in it's rightful place, over her chest. The fibre end trailed down her back, so she could adjust it as she grew. With the coconut fibres instead of the chain, Daniella felt pure nature around her neck, as well as home. She had thought it lost to the sandy beach...

"Thank Leia. She's the one Emori asked to fix it." Gylfie nodded at Leia, who laughed shyly.

"Thank you." Daniella looked at Emori and Leia, gratitude shining in her lavender eyes, and the Turtle dove dipped her head. The islanders started cheering once more, shouting farewells and good luck. Melodia moved forward.

"I think the sun is nearing the heart of the sky." She murmured. It was time to leave. Daniella and Emori looked around, taking it all in for the last time.

 _"We'll remember you both!"_

 _"Stories will be told of what you both did!"_

 _"Safe travels!"_

In a dizzyingly fast amount of time, Daniella and Emori were flying after Melodia, the sound of the grove fading behind them. Time blurred as they flew through the heftberry trees, over the river, and over the stretch of grass dividing the North and South - but it was here they slowed down. "We'll fly over it." Melodia said. Kehua hadn't been seen since being blinded - perhaps he'd flown into the sea? _Hopefully_ , Daniella thought. But Melodia was taking no chances, and there was also the fact that the North was now home to Marcos, Lorac, and the other traitors. But then, Marcos was on his own - he'd left separately from his former friends.

Daniella's heart was reassured. They were leaving all that behind - she could forget Marcos. Could Emori, after all Marcos had done to her family? She had none because of him. He was the reason her childhood had been a complete misery. Not to mention he'd almost drowned her. Maybe, in the Amazon, Emori could start over. She'd love it.

They neared the beach - sand intercepted the blue and green now, golden in the noon sunshine. The waves rolled up the shore, and Daniella's heart swelled. This was where she'd seen Tia... and almost abandoned Emori and the island, she reminded herself with guilt. She shivered, knowing exactly what would have happened if she'd been a coward and fled. Islanders would be dead, with Kehua still on the loose, and common birds dead or hiding in fear in the North side of the island. Emori would be dead, Anya would have died violently, and Marcos would lead, with Lorac as second leader. Or, as kids had already began to refer, Maniac Marcos and Loopy Lorac.

The three birds landed on the sandy beach, warmed from the sunshine. The boat should be coming along the horizon any moment now... unless Marcos had lied to her, or Anya was wrong. What if the boat only showed up on certain days? Once a week? Or month? _I can't live here for much longer! My family..._ she'd barely given them a thought. She'd been missing for over a week. What if they thought she was dead? Daniella's happiness dwindled slightly.

"I do miss the mainland, too." Said Melodia's dreamy voice, distracting her from these thoughts.. The Sun Parakeet's eyes were cloudy with memory - happy, and anguish she wouldn't dare share with the two girls. "As much as I love Alegria... I miss my birthplace."

"You could come with us, you know." Emori said, looking up at Melodia.

"I do wonder sometimes whether to go back." Melodia had a little longing in her eyes. "But there's a difference between my birthplace and my home. Alegria is my home. It's like you. You was born here, but don't belong here. I wasn't born here, but this is where I'm meant to be. But if I find myself being called back... I know where to go." Melodia gazed at them with sadness, eyes on the horizon. "I... I suppose this is where we part ways." Daniella and Emori turned around, and both their hearts leapt. On the horizon, a thread of smoke appeared, and a tiny white thing. The outside world was in their grasp.

Daniella unexpectedly felt a wave of sorrow. She'd grown quite fond of Melodia's funny way of speaking, her sweet kindness. She was a lot like Mimi, in some ways - she wished she was coming with them. "Goodbye, Melodia. Thanks, for everything you've done." She hugged Melodia, before feeling the sea calling. She turned, gazing at the white speck growing larger.

Emori stared up at Melodia. Melodia, Daniella aside, had always been the bird she'd been closest to. Melodia had volunteered to raise her when nobody else would - she had always been there for her. Even if the Sun parakeet wasn't the most committed of parental figures, she had been the closest Emori had to a mother. "I... I'll miss you, Melodia." There was a pause - then Emori hugged Melodia tight around the neck, tears welling up in her eyes. "Thank you for everything." Melodia hugged her back, blinking rapidly.

"I'll miss you too, darling." Melodia hugged her tighter for a moment, before reluctantly placing her down on the sand, and stepping back with happy tears of pride. "Now, go, my child. Go have an adventure!" Emori walked backwards, tears streaming now, but still smiling. She dug her talons into the sand, Alegria sand, knowing in her heart this would be the final time she was on the island. Perhaps, now that Marcos was gone, the island could truly live up to it's name, of 'joy' or 'sunshine'. She saw a movement in the bushes behind Melodia, but thought nothing of it.

The seabreeze ruffled their plumage, as Daniella and Emori turned, to face the ocean - the sun shone on the sea, which called them. Emori's breath kept catching - Daniella looked at her, from where she was tightly securing her pink ribbon with slightly shaky wings. "Are you ready?" Daniella asked, heart glowing like the sun.

"Yes." Emori replied, heart racing. She looked back at the palm trees, at Melodia, who was slowly walking backwards while waving with tears in her golden eyes. "Good bye, Melodia..." Emori let go of her emotions, looking at the trees, waving and shouting with joy. "Good bye, Alegria!" Then they found the strength to pull themselves together, to raise their wings. They lifted off the sand, and began to fly over the sea - two of the few to do so. Melodia smiled after them, and, after picking up a shell, began to fly home, deciding to trace the North beach to the South beach instead of cutting through the forest. She flew around the palm trees, and was gone.

A few moments after Melodia left, something emerged from the treeline, staring at the white speck, and Daniella and Emori, who were flying straight and not looking back. The sun didn't seem quite so beautiful in that moment, as it shone down on something terrible. Then the creature lifted into flight, off the sand, leaving the island. As it flew over the water, Alegria turned bright, brighter than ever, for it had been freed - while the sea, with this creature flying over it, temporarily went dark.


	37. Reminders of the past

"Earth to Bia and Azure. Hello?" Leo heard Bromeliad's voice from the phone. "Are - Banjo! Angelica! Don't touch that -" there was the sound of Leo's cousins giggling and something breaking. Leo longed to see them, but his parents insisted on very few looks because they didn't want the family realizing they'd seen a lot of Leo and no Daniella. They hadn't seen Daniella at all, for a while. It was only a matter of time until someone realized something was wrong.

His exhausted parents were fighting to stay awake despite it being noon - they were still searching for Daniella, even though she'd been missing almost a week. Leo wandered when - or if - Azure and Bia were planning on telling them that Daniella was missing. How much longer were Azure and Bia going to keep up this facade? Jessy, Feliz and Angelo asked after Leo and Daniella all the time, but his parents always made some excuse. Leo sat out of view - they had taken a break in their search to contact the family.

"Oh... sorry." Said Azure, running a wing through his head feathers, which had lost their volume since worry had set in. "Were you saying something about Azalea and Felipe?"

"About ten minutes ago." Said Tiago's mischievous voice, and there was the sound of a 'shush' - it sounded like Jessy.

"You're so rude, daddy."

"You're one adorable hypocrite, after what you said to Feliz yesterday!" Replied Tiago's teasing voice. Leo listened - they were so happy, while they were miserable down here. He envied them - he missed his sister. It was like flying with one wing, he felt empty and miserable. They all did. The sparkle had gone from Bia's hazel eyes, Azure was quieter and less optimistic. Leo was growing more lonely by the day.

"Carla and Bruno want you back here - their eggs will be hatching soon. We all miss you." Blu said, but then Jewel lost her patience.

"Right, what's wrong? You both look exhausted! We've hardly seen anything of the kids, too." Jewel was then joined by the family members on the other side of the connection, voicing their concerns. Azure glanced at Bia, wondering, but she shook her head slightly to show that she didn't think it was the right time.

"Look, it's nothing. The storms have kept us all awake..."

"-the taps aren't working, Tulio. We had to use the hose." Spurred by boredom and curiosity, Leo strayed from his parents and slid down the pipe, dropping onto the windowsill. The hose, like a green snake, trailed through the window and into the sink, the water dripping out slowly to let the plugged sink fill. "-the electricity's a bit dodgy too. I'll switch it off, it's daylight and so distracting." Leo noticed a flickering lightbulb in the middle of the room, which was clean-looking but not too clean so that it was unsettling. The room looked pleasant, with pictures of birds on the wall and sickly yet healing birds sleeping in cages.

"It could be the stormy weather." Tulio suggested, cleaning his glasses lense on his sleeve. He stood a few feet away, with a male assistant. "At least the one we had yesterday was the final one in the forecast. Anyway, where's our resident who needs his skin treatment?" _Resident?_ Leo wondered. There was a bird here who had a permanent place in the ornithology and sanctuary headquarters? That was unusual.

"He's over there." The other human said, indicating toward a cage on the adjacent windowsill to Leo, who was hiding behind a flowerpot above the filling sink. Leo realized that the cage was occupied; it was covered by a cloth, so he hadn't noticed there was someone in it initially. Under the edge of the cloth, he saw a pair of knobbly talons, surrounded by grey and white feathers. "You remember how the video of the little frog sticking to him became an online sensation? I still don't know why the frog seems besotted with him still, after all this time." _Why does this sound familiar?_

"Well, we can't separate them." Shrugged Tulio, writing something on a clipboard. He reached toward the clothed cage, pulling the cover away, before a woman's head appeared around the door. She, like Tulio and the assistant, was dressed in white, although she had a glass box in her hands.

"Hello, darling!" Sqeauled a high-pitched voice, aimed at the caged bird - a very pink frog was stuck to the glass wall, with big, adoring eyes. "I'll see you later, my sweet love!" There was a mutter of annoyance and dread from the bird, who Leo couldn't fully see.

"Tulio, the babysitter just dropped Emma off." Said the woman, hitching the glass box up with her knee to prevent it slipping from her grasp. "I'm just taking the tree frog back to their enclosure." She then ducked out of the room, but not before the tree frog shouted a goodbye to the caged bird.

"Oh yes, Yasmin said she couldn't do the full day." Tulio quickly went out of the room. Emma usually spent the day with Linda and Fernando at their book store or at the nursery which wasn't open on weekends, but today was an author's visit and a Saturday - it would be difficult to keep an eye on an adventurous toddler, while it was so busy. "The treatment... where was it, Franco? Would you mind? I have to go." The other human followed talking some medical nonsense, taking a stack of papers with him. Leo looked around the room, before perching on a cabinet, opposite the caged bird, who was now exposed with the cloth gone. He wondered why the frog had seemed so loved-up - what did she see in _that?_

He'd obviously had a bad time. Ragged white feathers covered the floor of his padlocked cage, and there was a laziness in his bloodshot, unfriendly brown eyes. A rather ridiculous jacket-like thing covered his main body, and baldness was creeping up his neck. Dirty yellow feathers lay on the back of the his head. Leo went to fly back outside, feeling uneasy, but the caged bird noticed him before he could slip away _._ His eyes grew alert. "What do we have here?" His gaze was patronizing and mocking, as he stared at Leo. His eyes were narrowed; he seemed to think Leo looked familiar, and he didn't like it. "A little blue bird?"

"Uh... hi?" Leo was unsure how to react to this bitter stranger. The cockatoo glowered through the bars.

"Let me guess. You're that little Spix's macaw everyone's been gossiping about? The one who's missing?" His tone was absolute mockery. Leo filled with unease - news of Daniella was everywhere, thanks to the toucans and their thirty-something children - not to mention their uncountable grandchildren - as well as Mia, Nico and Pedro spreading messages to party-goers in their samba clubs. This bird had probably heard it from one of the sick birds that had passed through the recovery centre. "Shame." He sneered. "Must've wandered off... but then, you're all stupid that way." Leo felt a flash of outrage.

"Don't talk about us like that!" Leo glared at the bedraggled bird. "Who even are you?" The white bird grinned.

"How about I sing you my life story? I've already done it to your wretched kind before."

"I don't think -" Leo went to go, not wanting to hear it.

"Leo!" Bia landed on the windowsill, for he had disappeared from the roof, where she and Azure had been on the videocall. Not noticing the bird below her, she flew in, onto the cabinet. "You shouldn't be in here -" then she spotted the bedraggled cockatoo. She went rigid with hostility, and the cockatoo instantly recognised her. This wasn't the first time they'd bumped into one another - Blu and Jewel had taken her, Carla and Tiago to Rio for their first Summer living in the Amazon, before she'd met Azure. Passing through the facility, they'd spotted him being cleaned up in a sink by staff. Another year, she and Azure, joined by Carla and Bruno, had been seen by him. He'd been angry, obviously, and curses had sent them flying on their way.

"Well, well. We meet again." Nigel glared daggers.

"You." She said, feathers bristling. Leo glanced up at her, puzzled. He'd known that this bird was a Sulphur-crested cockatoo the moment he'd laid eyes on him - like his mother, he knew his species. How would his mother know this bird, usually native to Australia? Leo began to fit things together in his mind. A tree frog, he'd seen for himself and heard the ornithologists mention. A cockatoo with a feather condition... he'd heard these things before, in a story told by Blu and Jewel.

"Come to gloat, after all this time?" Nigel's eyes were filled with dislike at the sight of Bia - daughter of the bird he hated most.

"Trust me, we're leaving. Come on, Leo." Bia went to usher Leo outside, but Leo stayed where he was, frozen by Nigel's unfriendly glare.

"I heard about a lost blue macaw." Nigel's voice floated over, full of sneering, and Leo felt Bia stiffen. "I guessed it had to be something to do with your wretched family... there's only so many pet blue macaws who'd visit this city."

"Pet?" Bia whirled round, in anger. "We're friendly to humans, that's all - we live in the rainforest, where we belong. My dad isn't a pet. You're just a jealous bird who turned on his own kind to help smugglers. And that's a bit rich! You were a pet!"

"I'm not finished!" Nigel leaned on the cage bars, face full of arrogance. "How did you lose that kid? Too stupid to keep track of them all? Or maybe she ran away... you must be a terrible mother." Nigel grinned with satisfaction, enjoying the torment - Bia's face was frozen. That torturing question had never left her mind, and now Nigel was making her reconsider it. "For who would want to be part of a pet family? Maybe she couldn't bear the shame and humiliation..."

"You don't know a thing about my family." Bia hissed.

"Your _family."_ Nigel snorted, voice sickly sweet. "What a joke you are!"

Leo's eyes grew narrower and narrower. He wasn't going to stand here and let this cockatoo insult his mother. He edged out of Nigel's vision, flying onto the windowsill with the flowerpot. The hose trailed into the sink, filling it up - but with the humans out of the room, it was about to overflow. He perched on the unworking tap, noticing how the hose had a power dial on the side. He got an idea, and flew out, calling for Azure.

"What happened years ago was your own fault. You shouldn't have been such an egotistical bully! That's why you have to wear that beyond ridiculous outfit, and why you can't fly." Bia had heard all about him, after their brief encounter when she was little. After being taken back to Rio, Nigel, along with Gabi, had been kept in the outdoor enclosures at the back of the building, where the birds who couldn't be returned to the wild were kept in comfortable, spacious cages filled with plants, to make their lives as natural as possible. Although, Nigel didn't deserve this after all the birds he'd helped imprison over the years.

Nigel ignored her, while trying to unlock his cage - but it was padlocked. He angrily sat, in frustration, itching to give Bia a piece of his mind. Instead, he tormented her further with words. "I wonder where your lost child is right now. Perhaps she's been caught by smugglers. I heard about how they were getting into your precious sanctuary..."

"We fixed that." Bia snapped. Azure, Nico, Eva and Mia had lead Linda and Tulio to a trap they'd found, and since then the fence was fixed and, right now, being replaced by something more smuggler proof. Her temper grew and grew, and she resisted the temptation to screech at him.

"If not that, maybe a snake came by, and fancied a snack? I bet -" Bia almost leapt forwards to sink her claws through the bars of his cage - but then she jerked backwards. A jet of water soared across the room, hitting Nigel. He squawked and floundered against the water, which sprayed at every angle, his wings thrashing inside the cage. The water ceased after a few moments, and by this time, he was soaked and dripping water. He shivered, looking beyond ridiculous with his wet feathers sticking to his skin.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Were you finished?" Azure smirked at Nigel, from where he had the hose aimed, and Leo had turned up the power of the water. Leo grinned mischievously, as he and Azure shared a wing-bump. Despite everything Nigel had said, Bia was trying not to laugh. Azure beckoned Bia, as the door handle turned. The three birds flew out the window - while Azure and Leo were actually happy for the first time in days, Nigel's words rang in Bia's mind.

Tulio came back in, the skin treatment in his right hand with Emma held on his left hip. Green bows were tied in her reddish-brown hair. "Franco, I'll just leave this on the side next to the cage, I need to take Emma -" He stopped speaking as he stared at the soaking cockatoo, in bewilderment, dropping the bottle in his surprise.

" _Mes deus,_ what did you do?" He tutted, while Nigel shivered there, seething in silence, his feathers completely drenched and his vest sagging. Emma giggled at the ridiculous sight, clapping her hands in joy.

 _Later_

The ship glided along the surface of the sea, which moved smoothly and calmly in the night. There was hardly a breeze to stir it, so they shouldn't have had much trouble falling asleep. Emori slept soundly, while Daniella lay, her mind flooded with thoughts. Through a gap in the wooden ceiling, the moon hung, casting silver streaks across them. She looked at Emori, expecting her to mumble in her sleep - but this had been the only night she'd slept without muttering. Emori was sleeping peacefully, the pink ribbon swept over her neck, her chest gently rising and falling.

Coconuts lay clustered below them, rolling about gently with the motion of the swaying ship - Daniella and Emori lay on a ledge above to stop getting squashed by a flying coconut. Daniella guessed this was some sort of old-fashioned trade boat, based by the crates of fruit aboard. It wasn't like the flimsy smugglers vessel - it was more stable and had no water rushing across the floor. The door actually reached to the floor and ceiling, and had no signs of wood rot.

Daniella's wing tips brushed the necklace around her neck, the coconut fibres, the smooth amethyst. She couldn't believe Emori had gone out of her way to trek all the way back to the beach, to hunt the area up and down for her necklace even if Kehua was on the prowl. Emori said she'd found the stone but not the chain, so she had taken it to Leia to see if she could conjure something, since the turtle dove was clever at delicate work like that - she made dream catchers and all kinds of trinkets.

 _Dad makes dream catchers.._. he'd made one for her and Leo, and all her cousins. An older one hung over his and Bia's nest - the first one he'd ever made for her mother when they were teenagers. As Azure hadn't been so skilled when he'd made it, it wasn't the most decorative or the best, but it was precious to Bia _._ _Before I'd be embarrassed when dad whispered romantic things to mom... but now I'd give anything to see it again._

Azure was the romantic one of her parents - he was always singing to Bia, bringing her sweet fruits and flowers, which she missed deeply, for it was so sweet to see. Daniella missed seeing her mother's blush, the adoring in her eyes, even the song she sang to her and Leo. Leo was annoying sometimes as brothers were, but Daniella's heart still ached with longing to see him and her parents, for the thousandth time.

Were they still searching? She'd been gone for so long... maybe they'd given up. Her chest squeezed with fear at the thought of them heading back to the Amazon and breaking the news to the whole family... would she and Emori have to find their way back all the way to the Amazon? She filled with dread, at the thought of getting lost in Brazil. At least Alegria was a single island, so she hadn't risked wandering farther and farther from home.

She remembered Alegria - but no matter how fondly she thought of Melodia, Anya, Gylfie and the other kindly residents, her thoughts kept returning to Marcos. She saw him everywhere. The green of the young coconuts seemed identical to that of his eyes, and the crack in the wooden board above her head reminded her of the scar made by Costia. She swore she'd seen him earlier, staring at them from behind a barrel, but when she'd blinked, he'd vanished. _Don't be so paranoid. It's over now... your mind's playing with you._

Daniella suddenly heard a noise. She twitched out of her thoughts, glancing toward the wooden door, where the sound came from. Blinking away tiredness, the door drew clearer as she grew more alert. There was a scratching at the bottom, as if something with claws was scrabbling at the gap beneath. A shadow flickered slightly beneath the dim light falling down the corridor. The heavy door handle make a groaning sound. "Emori." She prodded her.

"Go away... I'm tired..." Emori muttered, groggily.

"There's something at the door." Daniella whispered, but Emori, being so tired, turned over and covered her head in denial. The handle moved down ever so slightly - but it was locked. It had been locked when Daniella and Emori had found their sleeping place, and they'd gotten in through a dodgy floorboard that stretched underneath the door, from the outside and inside.

"I'm sure it's nothing..." Emori murmured. Daniella watched the shadow under the door gap, and how the handle slid up and down a few times - she thought she heard a curse word hissed, but then the shadow moved away, and it was silent. Daniella's blood pounded in her ears - she didn't move her gaze from the door. But then she was reassured ever so slightly, when the boat swayed gently, and a crate of coconuts slid over the door. But she was still uneasy. "Maybe it was that four legged animal..." Emori said, drowsily.

"You mean the dog?" Daniella looked at Emori, but Emori was asleep now. As if to confirm this, there was a sudden growling and barking. Heavy paws rushed along the floor, the shadow racing past. She glanced back toward the door, her heart slowing down. Perhaps it was the dog - they'd seen the great shaggy thing flopped out in the corridor when they'd found the storage compartments, and had quietly crept past it. It had woken now, and claws clicking on the wooden floor, continuing to growl and bark at something. A human voice shouted, and the dog's barks ceased, although it still growled.

She thought no more of it, and forgot about it as sleep took over. The whisper of ocean, which terrified her once, was now a wonderful sound. The rocking of the boat lulled her, like the cradling of her mother's wings. _I'll see mom soon..._ she looked back up at the moon, before falling into dreamless sleep.


	38. One last storm

Emori was woken by a sudden jolt. She bolted up, woken rather abruptly. On her right, Daniella stirred, and propped herself up on a wing. Her lavender gaze flickered once again to the door, but then she shook herself. Emori tried to remember why, but she had been too tired and half-asleep to quite process what had happened.

 _Something about the four-legged thing?_ Emori had lived on an island her whole life - she didn't know what a dog was, but she was fearful of it. She was especially wary of the two-leggeds Daniella called humans. They were weird and ugly - tall, with bare skin covered up with fabric, like the ribbon in her head feathers albeit less shiny and pretty. They were speaking in a foreign language she didn't understand. Daniella looked up, toward the sound - she was relieved to hear the language again. "It's Portuguese." She said, at Emori's puzzled expression.

"You understand that mumbo jumbo?" Emori asked, very impressed. After living on the island in a crowd of various languages, all Emori knew was English. South American residents spoke Portuguese, but after years from home, the language - amongst others - had phased out to English, the most widely spoken on the island. A few still spoke their own, such as the kiwi and kakapo who both spoke Maori.

"My parents taught me - mostly my dad, since he was brought up with it." Daniella smiled. Emori was about to ask whether Daniella could teach her, before the boat jolted again. There was the sound of Portuguese language above their heads. "We're slowing down. Apparently we're... almost there." Daniella went quiet, but Emori reacted differently. Overwhelmed with excitement, she was under the floorboard faster than Daniella could blink, and on the other side of the door. Daniella rushed to follow, calling for Emori to wait, but she was unheard. They went up the short flight of steps to the deck, flying into the open air.

The scent of the ocean was heavy as Emori flew up to the roof to get a view. She landed on the roof, and spun round. She held onto a pole with one wing, while hanging forward, the wind running through her feathers. She stared out, both terrified and excited, wondering if it was everything she'd dreamed. Daniella landed beside her, talons dug into the metal below, barely breathing - then they both saw it.

Daniella could have wept in joy as she saw the Christ the Redeemer, arms spread to welcome them. The city swarmed below, but Daniella had never been so happy to see something urban in her whole life. _Brazil. I'm home_. Her heart filled with delight as she imagined seeing her family again.

Emori didn't utter a word. She drank it all in - it was so different from her island. _Not my island. That was never my home. Could this be?_ She'd once dared flying some distance from the shore to look at Alegria - it had been a simple mound rising from the sea, small and insignificant. But this land didn't end. It raced from each end of the horizon, part of it brown and grey, and around it, green, in the sun.

She looked back at the grey and brown towers and boxes, bewildered by it all. It was unlike anything Emori had ever witnessed. Boats like the one they are on speckled the bay, which stretched in the afternoon daylight - the longest beach she had ever seen. Strange buildings lined the shore and spread into the land, hard edged and made of stone. A stone human overlooked the city, and a mountain shaped like half an oval towered over the bay. "This is Rio?" She asked.

"What do you think of it?"

"It's... so strange, so vast." Daniella glanced at Emori, but Emori's beak was curling into a smile. "I love it."

"We'll get off now..." Daniella smirked - for the first time, she initiated the fun, when she used to follow along with the suggestions of others. "Race you to the mainland!" Daniella launched off the boat, Emori racing after her. Daniella's wings beat frantically, so desperate to get back to land - but then she spotted her reflection on the sea surface.

"Daniella? What are you doing?" Emori asked. Daniella skimmed close to the water, feeling the seaspray bouncing on her feathers - she sunk down her talons, so they dipped into the water. It was cool and refreshing, the fluid feel, the scent of seawater, making her feel liberated. "You're not afraid of it anymore!" Emori exclaimed, proudly. Daniella had barely thought about how much water had once terrified her - she didn't even remember the faces of Camille, Valentina and Ivanna.

"Just wait till I tell them what you've done for me!" Daniella looked sideways at Emori. Emori slowed at that moment. "Emori?" Daniella hovered over the water, at her frown.

"What will I do when we get to the Amazon?" Emori asked, worriedly.

"What do you mean?"

"I can't exactly live in your ravine... I'd be the odd one out." Daniella had never thought about that. Emori was right - and what if someone picked on her for being the only non-Spix's macaw in the tribe? Someone was bound to.

"Well... we'll cross that river when we come to it. But there is a smaller group of Chestnut-Fronted macaws living not far away. We'll work something out." Emori's eyes filled with curiosity, for she had never encountered her own kind. "You... whatever happens, you will visit me, right?" Daniella asked, nervously.

"Do you honestly think after all we've been through I'd never see you again? I'll see you everyday - look out!" Daniella looked ahead, and saw a large male human in an inflatable ring, drink in hand. At the sight of the bird coming his way, he wobbled and ducked to the right, his weight making the ring tilt dangerously. He plunged into the water, drink flying into the sea.

"That was expensive!" He protested, as Daniella and Emori frantically flew upwards to avoid the crowded beach. Emori stared at the sight, the noise of Brazilian music and shouting humans, overwhelmed. Seawater splashed them from humans leaping into the sea and splashing one another.

"As I was saying, I'll see you all the time. That's a promise." Emori's gaze was then fixed on the bizarreness of all she could see. She'd never seen a car, buildings - now hundreds were in her view. As they flew over the road, Emori gasped. "Uh, what is that horrible smell?" She looked overwhelmed, beak clamped shut to try and block it out. Daniella realized what Emori meant, when she noticed the familiar reek.

"Of course, you've had no experience of a road. That's the fumes from the cars." As someone so isolated from humanity, Emori would have always breathed pure air.

"The what?"

"Those!" Daniella indicated to one, which rumbled by below. "Come on, we'll fly higher to get away from the fumes." It wasn't normally this bad - she saw the source of the problem, a broken down van smoking heavily with the cars frozen in the traffic not making it much better. They flew far above, to the top of a hotel where the scent of traffic was almost non-existent. Emori looked relieved as they got away from the smell and noise of the road, as they landed on the hotel top. She took a moment to collect herself, filling her chest with better air, before noticing the city.

"Oh, my." Forgetting the unpleasant encounter, Emori flew to the opposite side of the roof, stepping forward, looking over the top of the hotel side. She overlooked her first city. Humans moved below like ants, frantic and in a rush to get somewhere. They were everywhere, as far as she could see - on the streets, moving behind windows, and even on the other roofs. The height was dizzying. She loved flying high, but she'd never perched upon something this giant - no tree on Alegria was as tall as this building, she was certain.

"I know it's a lot... I was shocked by the first city I encountered." Daniella gazed over the edge too. "Imagine being born somewhere like here. My mother was, although to be fair, that was away from the busy part." There was the sound of movement behind, and she glanced over her shoulder. She blinked at a wobbling stone, but she assumed it to be wind. It was picking up, afterall. It was there that she noticed the tourists on the beach beginning to clamber out of the sea, or leave the beach entirely, for the waves were growing as the dark clouds moved toward them. _Another storm?_ Emori noticed it too, glancing over her shoulder at the sight.

"I think it's time to find your family." Emori said, looking uneasy at the approaching weather.

"Me too." Daniella agreed. "But I... I don't know the first place to start." There was a powerful gust of wind, almost knocking them off the building. Daniella looked around against the buffeting wind, wondering whether to go to Luiz's garage - but then, she didn't know how to get there from here. She had a rough idea, but the jungle was nearer. _It'll be better for Emori if we search somewhere she's comfortable in first. The city must be so weird to her._ "We'll get to the rainforest. Before we were separated, we slept in several places - maybe we can start searching there." Daniella looked over her shoulder, skin prickling.

"What's wrong?"

"Do you feel as if we're being..." Daniella paused. "Never mind."

 _Meanwhile_

Linda leafed through the photos and fridge magnets she had taken from the cottage fridge. The fridge was being replaced so the pictures had been placed in a plastic bag, which she had taken with her to the store today to keep them safe. The house was a bit of a mess at the moment, so she didn't want them being misplaced. She smiled and adjusted her glasses, looking at wedding photos, Emma's baby photos, and the ones of the bird family. She smiled, finding one of her favourites; the one with her, Tulio and Fernando with Blu and Jewel, as well as Bia, Carla and Tiago when they were chicks. It was dated just before the 2014 new year - was that really eight years ago?

"... the destructive weather system has taken meteorologists by surprise." Said the newsreporter, on the book store television, drawing her attention away from the fridge papers. Linda glanced up, turning up the volume. Emma sat on the desk chair, playing with her favourite toy, a fluffy penguin they'd bought on a holiday to New Zealand. "...it was thought that the system had dissipated completely, but it seems as though one final storm is on it's way. The people of the east coast of Brazil are advised to stay indoors and stay away from the coast, the winds expected to grow so high power cuts are possible -"

"It's terrible, isn't it?" Amalia, one of Linda's most loyal customers, had a book under one arm while looking through the magazines. She was a Brazilian, pretty, with short, spiky hair partially hidden by a sun hat. She was around the same age as Fernando, working on a market stall nearby. She came into the store several times a week, to browse - or, Linda suspected, as an excuse to talk to Fernando. Amalia dropped a coin into the charity jar Linda had for the slum dwellers.

"It's awful." Linda agreed, pushing her glasses further up the bridge of her nose. She heard the coin rattle in the poverty jar. "I feel sorry for the people living in favelas especially." Emma dropped her penguin on the floor, and began looking around for it, frowning. Linda looked from Emma to the stack of heavy books in her arms, but Amalia smiled, stooping and giving it back to the toddler. "Thanks, Amalia."

"She's so cute." Amalia said, as Emma bounced the penguin in her lap. "So, where's Fernando? Isn't he usually working today?" She sounded disappointed that he wasn't there, as she made her decision and placed a book on the desk. Linda scanned the barcode as Amalia rummaged through her satchel in search of money.

"Oh, I let him finish early - the new refrigerator's being delivered. Since it's a distance away they had to deliver it later." That was the one problem of living in the jungle cottage - deliveries and large parcels were a nightmare. "Is this all?"

"That's perfect, thanks. See you later, Linda - tell Fernando and Tulio I said hi, and watch the weather!" Amalia smiled as she put the book in her bag and handed over some notes. " _O adeus_ , cutie." She playfully tapped one of Emma's reddish brown curls, making it bounce, before heading out the door. Linda looked back up at the television, frowning at the large, brightly coloured patch on the Brazilian coast as the weatherman indicated to certain areas. She glanced outside, where posters had been torn off walls by the wind, and bags flew about - Amalia's hat went flying, and she spun round and ran in pursuit, disappearing from sight.

"Maybe we'll stay here till the storm ends, Emma. We can entertain ourselves for a while." Linda deduced. It was quite a bus ride to the jungle edge and a long walk through the trees to get back to the cottage. She sat down next to Emma, preparing to read her a book, before the new photo of Bia and her little family caught her eye. _I haven't seen them in a while. I hope they're okay..._ She glanced outside, seeing a woman with a loose bun - the wind tore at it, and another hat went flying. For some reason she didn't think she should go back to the house, but she shook it off. "Emma? The Little Mermaid, Rapunzel, or the Snow Queen?"


	39. Lights out

Fernando peered through the blinds, at the appalling weather. _The forecaster got it a little wrong._ The wind tore at the trees, their branches waving like frantic arms. Leaves flew, and the puddles outside grew larger and larger - soon they would merge into a mini lake if the rain continued. He went to the door, testing the handle, for it had been fixed following Emma's little adventure into the jungle. He locked it, in case it flew open.

He looked at the gap where the fridge should be, irritated by the space - the tiles were slightly lighter than the rest, showing where the fridge had been. The delivery man hadn't arrived with the new one, like he should have - but now Fernando understood why, as he saw the storm outside. He winced at the thought of slum dwellers living in ramshackle housing, like the one he had once lived in - barely any protection from the weather. He plucked up a framed photo of the family, wondering what could have become of him if he hadn't decided to help them.

His ringtone started to play in his pocket, and Fernando saw 'Tulio' on the screen. "Hey, what's up?"

"Fernando, where are you?" Tulio sounded worried. Fernando jumped as a stick got thrown at the window by the weather.

"I'm back at the house." Fernando put a green tea bag into a cup, switching on the kettle, eyes on the windows. "Where are you? It's night and I'm the only one in the house..." he looked at the clock, where the handle was approaching eight.

"Your mother and Emma are in the book store. The buses are delayed and it's too wet and windy to head out, so they're staying put. The birds are distressed by the weather, so I have to stay here -" there was a squawk in the background. "That cockatoo's angry - the frog's clinging to him, she doesn't like stormy weather... cover the cage, calm them down. Anyway, Fernando, shut the windows. Just stay indoors, they say that the rain is going to stop soon. I'm looking over Rio right now, and I can see the end of the stormcloud..."

Fernando tried to see for himself, but the trees blocked out any clear sky. "Well, that's good. Don't hurry back, I'll be fine -" then the lights went out, as did the kettle. "Oh, no."

"What happened?"

"Power cut." Fernando said, with frustration. He suddenly spotted something on the other side of the window. He gasped in surprise. _"Mes deus!"_

"Fernando?"

"N-nothing. There's... a bird outside." It stood directly on the other side of the glass, staring at him. "Shoo!" Fernando tapped the glass but it still didn't move. It was an ugly thing, looking in bad shape, which Fernando could tell despite the rain. "Maybe I should -" but then the bird disappeared. "Oh, never mind. Maybe it just freaked me out a little, staring like that."

"What? I can't hear you!"

"Nothing. I'm just gonna go to the box and see if I can switch it back on."

"Are you sure? I can always get -"

"Honestly, I'll survive." Suddenly there was a hissing on the phone. "Dad?" The hissing continued. "Hello?" The reception had failed - rolling his eyes, Fernando ended the call, shoving his phone into his pocket. Pulling a coat over his head, Fernando slipped outside, the rain thrashing him. He splashed through puddles, finding the box, and pulling it open. Shining his mobile torch, Fernando hit the switch, and the lights came back on in the house. He suddenly froze, seeing, feeling something in the corner of his vision.

Fernando gasped when he saw the same bird, with a jolt - the one who had been at the window. It stared at him from on top of a spare tire, with pale, unfriendly eyes. "You, again?" Fernando wondered whether he should help it since it looked injured - it was bald in places, and looked in pain. Would it let him? He reached toward it cautiously, but then the bird squawked loudly. It lunged, claws lashing viciously. "Okay, okay! Get off!" Fernando covered his head, racing back and slamming the door behind him. A bead of blood trickled from his thumb, and Fernando looked outside, unsettled.

Outside, in the howling wind and battering rain, on the fringe of the clearing, Daniella and Emori sheltered - or tried to - in a leaky tree. Daniella looked out at the tempest, fear pricking from all angles - and not just from the storm. A lot of weird things had happened throughout the evening. But Daniella didn't know whether she was being paranoid or not - she was sure her mind was playing games. _I keep thinking someone's following us_. Daniella was sure she'd seen someone watching them from building tops, or occasionally she'd see an object move. And now, as they sheltered from the rain in the forest, Daniella was feeling worse.

It was cold. _The irony... we're in Brazil._ Somehow on the island, it had been a little cooler, maybe because of the constant seabreeze pushing around the air. As soon as they'd hit the mainland it had grown more humid, but now, as Daniella had quickly readjusted, just as quickly she'd felt cold. Maybe it wasn't cold - the mercury on Linda and Tulio's outdoor thermometer was sitting high. She just felt uneasy, skin prickling.

Emori was darting about the ceiling. "I can't stop the leaks!" It was difficult to find an unoccupied tree hollow, so they'd been forced to shelter in a leaky one when the rain had grown too heavy to find somewhere dry. Daniella tried to help by stuffing leaves in any gaps, but they quickly grew sodden and let water through.

They'd desperately looked for any sign of Daniella's family. Daniella had looked in every tree they'd slept in before she had gone missing - she remembered where Rafael and his family lived, but their tree had been empty too. Were they looking for her? She looked at the storm with fear, trying not to imagine Leo being caught in it, her parents clinging to each other so not to be torn apart.

The Monteiro household lit up through the trees. Daniella kept looking at it - it looked bright, dry. _Safe_. Daniella still had that strange feeling of someone following them, but now, it was as if someone was watching them. She didn't like it at all - she kept seeing movements outside. Something brown, she was sure. _Brown? What's here that's brown?_ She didn't know any brown birds - at least not living, as she thought of Anya. She looked back at the house. The blinds moved, and she saw a familiar silhouette again. Fernando was the only one she'd seen - he seemed alone in there, and right now he was shutting windows to keep out the rain. The lights flickered again, but it looked a thousand times safer than any tree. She spotted the basement window, slightly open, felt it pulling her.

"Emori..."

"Yes?" Emori shook her head, so raindrops flew.

"I think... we should go in there." Emori followed her gaze, before realizing where Daniella meant. Her eyes widened.

"Are you sure? Isn't it dangerous?"

"There's only one human in there, and he's friendly. If we stay out of sight, he won't even know we're there." Daniella was desperate to be out of the rain, somewhere safe. Emori looked reluctantly at the human building - it was so strange to her. But then, the leaves she had stuffed into the largest leak gave way, soaking her. Emori's eyes narrowed in annoyance as Daniella suppressed a laugh.

"Get me in there." She said, irritably. Clinging to each other for support against the battering wind, Daniella and Emori fought their way through the rain, until they reached the wall and the basement window, slipping gratefully into the dry house. Daniella shook water out of her feathers, looking around in curiosity, while Emori looked more intimidated than interested.

Daniella and Emori looked around the basement - it was mostly full of junk, like old Christmas decorations, containers of liquids and boxes. Wooden beams stretched across the ceiling, and the floor was stone, cool beneath their talons, and quite wet - water stretched in a grand puddle, for rain was streaming in through the basement window - it leaked from a pipe edging the floor, too. "What happened?" Emori shook her foot, as the water washed over their feet.

"Maybe the pipe bursted... do you think he even knows it's happening? He'd be talking about it if he knew..." Daniella could hear Fernando trying to leave a voice message, but it wasn't about the slowly flooding basement. Emori didn't comment, for she didn't know what a pipe was.

Daniella and Emori flew up the little staircase, pulling the handle down; the kitchen extended, with more stairs leading to upstairs. Emori leapt back as Fernando's sandaled feet thumped past, her feathers bristling defensively - that was the closest encounter she had had with a human so far, but she didn't like them at all from what she'd seen so far. She had been taught that the island's rare species had been wiped out because of them.

"Emori, he's harmless." Daniella protested, although Emori didn't seem to believe her - her eyes were full of suspense and distrust. _That might be a good thing for her. It's better to avoid humans, if she doesn't know what they're like._ "We'll hide upstairs. We'll... we'll find them in the morning." Fernando must have heard them, for he glanced their way, but then he shrugged to himself and trudged up the stairs.

Daniella and Emori followed at a distance, keeping out of view - Fernando disappeared into his room, closing the door behind him. Looking through a crack in the door, Daniella just about saw him on his bed, eyes closed in the dark. Clearly he intended to sleep - at least he wouldn't see them. The lights suddenly flicked out, leaving Daniella and Emori in darkness. The gentle hum of the boiler ceased, and the glow of the television ceased from downstairs.

"Uh-oh." Daniella said, in a small voice.

"Who switched them off?" Emori asked, feathers bristling.

"I think it was a power cut. It happens sometimes." Daniella replied. "I bet it was the storm." But the storm hadn't caused it. Outside, the electricity box hung open, the door broken - a rock had been bashed against it to gain access, the same rock used to sabotage everything inside. The wires were crushed and sliced, switches broken. Below it, the bird that had attacked Fernando threw the rock aside, and looked at the dark house.

Now it approached the basement window. As the rain lessened, feathers were visible - their colour hidden with mud for some curious reason, hiding the once vibrant plumage and making him appear brown. But not even the inside had brightness. It had been bleached out by rage and failure, and now, any heart he'd had before had been ripped out.


	40. Torn apart

The rain and wind had faltered slightly, and now flying conditions were possible - the worst of the rain was over. Rafael and Eva hurried along in the drizzle, in case it started again, from where they'd been hiding in a tree during the tempest. "Do we have to get the whole group down to the cottage? Raffie, don't be a wimp!"

"Hey, Alectro said there was a crazy bird breaking into the house!" Rafael looked over his shoulder, before speaking in a honeyed voice. " _Of course_ I would have rushed in to confront him, but I couldn't put my dear Evie in danger, could I?" Eva looked touched, although when Rafael turned away, he breathed a sigh of relief - he didn't want to face a bird his friend Alectro had described as a 'nutcase without a tail'.

They arrived at the big tree they were all sheltering in. A white snowball came hurling toward them upon arrival. "Help! They'll kill each other!" She wailed. Rafael blinked in concern, while Eva didn't look too worried - Mia could exaggerate when she was in a whirl. The Keel-Billed toucan looked calm.

"Calm down, Miaroma. Now, just who do you think may be killing each other?" Eva asked - but then they heard the angry shouting, and were surprised when they realized who the voices belonged to.

 _"I'm not telling our family Daniella has been missing for this long!"_

 _"They'll find out sooner or later! Let's just get it over with!"_

 _"No! That's a terrible idea!"_

"Bia and Azure, arguing?" Rafael's eyes widened in surprise. "That's a first."

"Vamos, vamos! Before they say something they regret!" Mia hurried away, the toucans following. Higher in the tree, Nico, Pedro and Leo watched the situation, Leo in fear. They'd been bickering for almost an hour, since the toucans had left to ask for any sightings of Daniella. Now, the bickering had grown into a full-blown argument.

"Bia, we have to come clean!" Azure and Bia glared at each other, completely opposed - Azure had had enough of lying, while Bia was still unwilling to break the news that Daniella had been missing for over a week. Nico and Pedro looked at one another in unease, worried about how intense the argument between the young couple was becoming.

"We can't!" Bia retorted, stubbornly. "That's basically declaring we'll never see her again, because we can't find her!" But Azure wasn't giving up.

"They're going to eventually realize that they've seen nothing at all of Daniella and that we've stayed here far too long! Your sister can't wait much longer!" Carla and Bruno had called not long ago, pleading for their return - their whole family wanted them home, because Carla and Bruno's clutch of eggs weren't far from hatching. Isaac, Margaux, Monica and Suzy were back from French Guiana, adding to the pressure. Azure looked exhausted and frustrated, his eyes far their usual soft, calm blue that Bia fondly referred to as 'morning-like'. They were dark and stormy, the amber fleck burning.

"If we tell them, they'll go crazy!" Bia insisted, her feathers very fluffy from drizzle and anger. "I don't want them coming down here to launch a search!"

"Why not?" Azure challenged. "It'll be more helpful! We'll have a better chance of finding Daniella!" Bia shook her head and turned away, wings wrapped around her head in the torture.

"We can't! I can't face them - Azure? What are you doing?" Azure was picking up the phone, from where it lay propped against the wall. "Don't you dare. Don't you dare press call."

"I'm calling them right now." Azure looked at her, daringly, and Bia looked back.

"Go on, then. Press it." Bia dared. Azure did - but the connection failed. His eyes flooded with frustration as Bia rolled her eyes. "No reception, Azure." They weren't close enough to a connection. Azure put it down hard, before turning back to Bia.

"Don't you understand? You're jeopardizing ever getting our little girl back, because you're scared of how they'll react! It's - it's - selfish!" Azure said, without thinking. Bia felt anger coursing through her, but before she could do some serious damage, a little blue blur came between them.

"Stop fighting!" Leo cried. He looked from Bia to Azure, dark hazel eyes wide with anger - and fear, Bia and Azure realized with horror. "It won't help us get Dani back if you argue! But dad's right. We have to tell everyone back home!" He looked up at his mother pleadingly, who gazed back, eyes glazed with pain. Azure slowly shook his head, his anger falling like sand to a riverbed, and so did Bia's.

"What are we doing, Beatriz? We never fight." He murmured. Before anyone else could speak, Mia and the toucans appeared.

"Whatever you're arguing about, you'll have to do it later!" Eva interrupted, brusquely. Bia and Azure looked at each other, in shame and regret. "Because right now, there's a freak breaking into the house!"

"What?" Bia looked up, distracted from their dilemma. "I thought the new electric fence was supposed to keep humans out?"

"That's the thing! It's a bird, of some kind." Rafael replied, and Leo's eyes widened. "Alectro lives next to the cottage - the bird was trying to get in through the kitchen door. Throwing rocks against the handle - I don't know if he's still doing it."

"A bird, breaking into a _house_?" Nico stared. "That's -"

"Stupid!" Pedro exclaimed, loudly. "What crazy guy would do that?"

"Whatever the case, we have to do something." Azure said, in concern.

"We'll go there now and see what he's doing." Bia looked at Azure, heart heavy with regret.

"Are you sure? It could be dangerous." Azure whispered.

"I'm a strong, independent female. I can handle it." Bia replied, hoping that he would forgive her for their fallout.

"Alright, then." Azure shook his feathers, after a pause. "Leo, stay here with -"

"We'll stay with him." Mia assured him, and Nico and Pedro looked relieved to stay. Leo narrowed his eyes, disappointed, as Bia, Azure and the toucans headed away. Rafael called back over his shoulder.

"Watch our kids for us!" He shouted. The three small birds frowned, before remembering with fear.

"Oh, no!" Pedro tried to hide, but he was too slow. A seige of little Rafaels and Evas came rushing into the hollow from their makeshift nest the moment their parents were out of earshot, pouncing on Mia, Nico and Pedro. Leo stared at the canaries and cardinal, struggling under four baby toucans. He looked at the leaving birds, looking back at the struggling Mia, Nico, and Pedro. They noticed how he was creeping toward the exit.

"Leo! Don't you -" Mia began, before Leo smirked mischievously.

"No chance." He said, before following his parents and the toucans. The three smaller birds called for him, but the chicks continued their attack.

"Leo! Wait - ow!" Pedro yelped when Wanda's beak closed on his wing feathers. Mia escaped the tangle, diving behind some vines.

Nico held his bottlecap like a shield to protect himself from Diego's long beak. "Mia! _Help!"_ Mia peered over the vine she hid behind, shaking her head firmly.

"I love you Nico, but I think I'm out!" Mia held up a bunch of snowy feathers Pietro had plucked, whilst painfully rubbing the skin they had once been attached to. This brief moment of light-heartedness wouldn't last long - back at the cottage, things were about to darken.

 _Meanwhile_

Emori and Daniella found each other in the darkness, and they crouched together, for some strange reason feeling terror creeping its way in like a snake in grass. "Daniella... why is it so quiet?" As soon as Emori said this, there was a slight buzzing sound - it faded before restarting, and a bulb hissed, occasionally lighting up for some of the wires hadn't been broken entirely. Of course they didn't know that. Some of the electricity still worked, because Daniella could hear the occasional hum of electricity, coming on and off. She looked around, noticing the dim glow of a lightbulb further up the corridor. Had Fernando noticed? He didn't seem to, but then, he was asleep with the faint sound of music heard from his headphones.

"This is so weird... it shouldn't be this fickle if there's a power cut." Daniella had a basic understanding of electricity - from who else but her mother, she knew about how power cuts ran their course and how dangerous wires could be, especially when combined with water. She thought of the flooding basement, stomach turning uneasily - she suddenly thought she heard a repeating thumping, as if something heavy was being bashed on a door. She tilted her head toward the noise, but Emori distracted her.

"Fickle?"

"One of my mom's words... it means going back and forth." Daniella narrowed her eyes at a wire in the dark - suddenly it sparked, and she and Emori gasped, leaping back. Emori shook with fear, for she had never experienced electricity before. "Keep away from the wires!" Daniella exclaimed, feathers on end. "If it were to electrocute you... you won't be able to walk that off. Not ever."

Emori nodded frantically, clinging onto her wing to make sure they weren't separated, but also for comfort. It was so unlike Emori to be this on edge, but Daniella was feeling the same - it was like before they'd met, when she was jumpier than a deer, only now it was a thousand times worse. "Okay. We'll -" before Daniella could finish, there was the sound of a door handle click - then a great crash, presumably from where the wind had caught it and made it fly open.

Emori leapt a few inches off the ground, as did Daniella. Daniella heard a mutter from the room, but no footsteps - Fernando was still asleep, his headphones drowning out any suspicious sounds. Daniella approached the top of the stairs, peering down. "What is it?" whispered Emori, shakily, at her side. Not only were there no footsteps in Fernando's room, but none downstairs. It wasn't a human intruder, but there was definitely something downstairs. They could hear it.

Surely, even the wind couldn't turn the shiny, brand new handle she'd spotted on the cottage door. _Was it locked?_ She'd seen the key sitting on the side. Suddenly Daniella remembered hearing the thudding from downstairs - she imagined that polished new handle being broken, something like wire stuck in the keyhole.

"Emori -" Daniella began.

Suddenly there was the sound of smashing. Heavy objects being shoved off tables, the flapping of paper from the books and newspaper, and the high-pitched smash of glass. In the reflection of a picture frame on the stair wall, they saw a flash of brown, of something leaping or flying. "It's not human." Emori said, quietly - then there was a repeated sound of breaking, and splashing - as if bottles of the weird liquid that made humans giggly had been dropped. Daniella had seen a row of them lined up on a counter, and was sure she could smell the sickly sweet smell of fermented grape juice. The sound of breaking objects continued.

"Emori... Emori." Daniella was paralyzed with fear. For some strange reason, Daniella's skin, and every drop of blood in her body, was like ice. Her blood roared in her ears as her heart began to race, as her lungs emptied and filled faster until she didn't breathe at all. Emori looked at her, somehow gathering back her usual courage, as she let go of her, and moved toward the stairs. "Don't. Emori, don't." Emori hopped onto the first step, but Daniella grabbed her wing, puling her back rather harshly.

"Hey!" Emori protested, loudly - the sound of smashing stopped, and so did their hearts. They was laughter from downstairs, unearthly - it chilled their bones.

 _"Emori..."_ it hissed, in a snake-like voice. Daniella and Emori froze. Daniella thought there was a faint, dancing amber light playing across the wall from downstairs - she thought she smelled smoke.

 _I know that voice._ Then there was an ear-splitting shriek, as a brown creature came charging up the stairs - brandishing a flaming branch, to their shock. _Brown. Flaming branch!_ Daniella couldn't calculate these components to find an answer. She was too focused on the icy green eyes of the intruder. "Go, go!" Emori screeched, shoving Daniella, bringing her back to reality. "I don't care where, just go!" Daniella staggered, before beginning to fly. She and Emori raced down the corridor, the creature chasing them, roaring like some sort of non-avian beast. But it was a bird - it's wings struck the air, there were squawks in the terrifying sound pouring from its beak.

"What is that thing?" Daniella cried, too terrified to look back. Emori didn't reply - she kept shouting at her to go. They tore past the rooms, but there was no escape - every window was shut and locked, trapping them in the seemingly labyrinthine cottage. Where were the stairs? The world spun in their panic, and the creature and the fire blocked their escape downstairs. It was there Daniella noticed it was flying funny - there was no tail to balance itself. _No tail. Flaming branch,_ she thought again.

The creature leapt towards them, and they dived apart. It lashed it's claws, but missed - the claws slashed through the wallpaper, leaving three claw marks. It had just three talons. Again, Daniella couldn't process the connection. The flaming branch struck the wall, and it glowed slightly, and began to smoke.

Emori and Daniella dived into the pitch black of Linda and Tulio's room, onto the top of the wardrobe. Clinging to each other, they stayed deathly still and silent. The room lit up as the flaming branch was thrust into the room. The creature staggered in. The branch was swung dangerously from side to side, as the creature swarmed around the room, searching, throwing Linda and Tulio's belongings on the floor.

"I know you're here!" It snarled. "You can't hide!" It landed on a cabinet, used the light cast to search. Daniella trembled like a leaf, trying to keep quiet - but then she heard a faint hum. She looked at the lightbulb in horror, reminded of the indecisive electricity. _No, no -_ the light burst into existence for a moment, before dying again. But it was enough. The creature leapt across the room, seizing the closest one by the neck.

 _"No!"_ Emori screamed, yellow and blue eyes stricken with terror.

Daniella was dragged to the ground, and the creature was immediately upon her, trapping her with its three-taloned foot. She struggled violently, trying to crawl free, but then the fire shone in her face, unbearably hot and bright but enough to see her attacker. She sank into the floor, the fire dangerously close to her face. She hadn't absorbed the glaringly obvious truth at first, but now she knew by the half-tail and missing toe who it was without needing to see him. The green eyes confirmed it.

Marcos was a shadow of what he once was. The once colourful plumage was caked in mud - the feathers ragged, half fallen out. She briefly wondered how he got here, before seeing that his wing feathers were intact, escaping the fire that had ruined his lower half. The mud couldn't hide the hideous burns scarring his lower body, as red as fresh blood, inflicted by Anya and reluctantly by Emori. The scarring and burns were like the skin of an avocado, deep, like a hundred crevices burned and scoured into Marcos' skin. Some of the burns were still weeping, making her feel sick. The white river made by Costia still showed despite the mud, and faint smears of colour were visible from where the rain had attacked his mud clothing. His tail, burned off by the flames, was no more than a black tuft, like a duck's tail. His beak was missing its tip.

The brown bird she'd seen, watching them from buildings - he'd used mud to hide his distinguishing plumage, to stay hidden from them. Moving objects from where he'd hidden, dangerously close to them, the feeling of being watched constantly. The broken electricity. The scratching on the boat cargo door... he'd been stalking them the whole way.

"How?" Daniella whispered. Emori stared at the scene, beginning to shake, for she too had recognized Marcos. Marcos' grip on Daniella grew intense, brutal, until she released a sharp cry of pain. The damaged macaw loomed over her, madness in his gaze. There was no appeal to his better nature this time, Daniella realized with horror. He was gone.

"Did you honestly think I'd let... let you both live a happy life, while I stayed on that wretched island, powerless and despised?" Marcos' voice sounded distant, as if he were in another place and time. It was also was raw, as if it too had been burned by the fire. His pale green eyes were hollow and soulless, like those of a ghost. "If you left, nobody would have gotten hurt... you had to interfere, and be the _hero!"_

"Nobody would've got hurt... nobody except Emori, Anya and every common bird on the island!" Daniella writhed under his grasp, desperate to be freed - his claws felt ike acid, as she imagined what horrors he had committed with these claws. "Why couldn't you just - just - leave us alone? You brought it all on yourself -" Before she could finish, Marcos plucked her off the ground, flinging her into the wall. Daniella tried to get up, but she couldn't get her breath back.

Emori sprang towards Daniella, but Marcos seized her in his talons. "No, you don't!" Marcos held her around the throat, and Emori released a strangled cry, struggling to breathe.

"Let me go! Marcos!" She bucked in his grasp, but Marcos ignored her. He looked at Daniella - then at the flaming branch. He threw it - like a blazing comet, the fire soared across the room, straight into the curtains. Fire rippled up the fabric, faster than Daniella could blink. "Daniella!" Emori shrieked, in pure horror. Marcos, with Emori imprisoned in his grasp, slammed the bedroom door, and there was the sound of the bedroom key in the outside lock.

He'd just locked Daniella in a room on fire.


	41. Have courage

Emori fought and tore at Marcos' scarred skin, trying to cause him as much pain as he had her. Drops of bird blood sank into the cream carpet, but Marcos was seemingly immune to the pain even when her claws found the burns that still weren't healed. He was unreactive, unfeeling. Despite his nonchalance, Emori continued to ravage him - the sight of the scar that ran from his throat to tail, made by her mother, only enraged her more.

"I'll _flay_ you! I'll rip out your eyes, you coward!" Emori wasn't like Daniella. She didn't negotiate. She was all thorns, as she screamed at Marcos, imagining the despicable things he had done - her once-fuzzy hatchling memories were clearer than ever, as she remembered seeing him standing over Embry, and holding her over the abyss of the rainforest floor. Then she stopped, desperate not to lose the only family she had left. "Ella, you have to get out! Don't worry about me!" But then her anger returned as Marcos' claws wrapped around her neck, as he half-flew, half-stumbled toward the stairs, his claws drawing blood.

Daniella was brought back to frightening reality by the pieces of ignited fabric flying around her. With a shriek of fear, she leapt back, staggering to avoid the flaming snowflakes - they floated dangerously close to her, blazing, bright. Her parents had taught her and Leo all about fire - it had almost killed them, had killed Tia in the fire that had separated Jewel from the tribe. She sprang to the door, shouting through the wood. "Emori! Marcos!" She frantically pulled at the door handle, even though she'd heard the twist of the lock.

"Daniella! Get out of there, save yourself!" Emori's voice was faint - Marcos was dragging her away, and the crackle of fire was growing louder, drowning out her voice. Her voice momentarily paused, before screaming again - they'd reached the stairs. _"He's set the whole place on fire!"_ Daniella didn't hear this part.

"Marcos, please!" Daniella hammered on the door, voice high with desperation and pleading. "Don't do this! I know you lost everything - I know you lost your parents. But this won't fix _any_ of it! You can still be somebody! Be content with a normal life, here, where nobody -" eventually it dawned upon her that Marcos was too far to hear her - or simply didn't care. He wasn't coming back.

She had never been more terrified. Her fear of water, of Marcos, even Kehua, was unparalleled. She was about to be burned alive.

Daniella gasped as she looked over her shoulder, saw the curtains rippling and writhing, like a worm on a hook. The fire grew hotter, brighter, and smoke began to pour off the fabric. The curtains began to sag, the fire burning through the fabric looped onto the rings, until the whole curtain fell to the floor. The fire leapt hungrily, assaulting the piles of clothes strewn across the floor, slowly spreading across the carpet. The bed covers began to smoke as a piece of burning curtain fell onto it.

Daniella coughed, as the vile smell of smoke filled her lungs. _Don't breathe it in! Don't breathe it in!_ She covered her beak with a wing, tried not to breathe at all - perhaps the smoke would suffocate her before she was burned. The ignited curtains blazed beneath the big window - firm shut. Holding her breath, Daniella flew up to the window handle, trying desperately to lift the handle, but it was too heavy. She threw several things at the glass, but nothing in the room was heavy enough to shatter the window, which was cold from the rain still hitting it. Jewellery flew around her as a jewellery box shattered upon hitting the glass, to no prevail. Daniella suddenly felt heat beneath her. She looked down to see the fire swarm upwards, and she lurched back to avoid it. The flames grew and grew, beginning to ravage the wallpaper.

"Think." She tried to think her way around the problem. "Think." Her brain was empty, and the heat wasn't helping. But then she caught sight of a photoframe - a family picture, taken not long after Emma was born. Emma was a bundle of pink blankets in Linda's arms, with Tulio and Fernando on either side of them. _Fernando!_ Daniella remembered, with a jolt. He was a few doors away - with his headphones in, and fast asleep. He could be unaware of the fire. "Fernando!" She screeched, at the top of her voice, knowing he wouldn't understand her - but maybe, just maybe, he'd hear her squawks. Daniella began throwing things at the door and walls while screeching, making as much noise as she could. But there was no response. His music and sleep was blocking her out.

Daniella buried her wingtips in her feathers, trying not to panic as the heat grew more intense. She stumbled about, before tripping over something - a pile of papers, bound by paperclips. _Paperclips?_ Her mother had told her about human objects - paperclips, wire, any piece of thin metal... they'd been taught about how to get out of complex human cages. Daniella pulled a paperclip free, landing on the door handle. She swung down, bending the paperclip straight. _I can do this! I can do this..._ Daniella pushed it in the keyhole - the door could be locked from both sides. She began to wriggle the paperclip end, trying to figure it out - at that moment, there was a piercing scream. Daniella, as well as Marcos and Emori who were halfway down the stairs, all cried out in shock and pain. It went on and off from the damaged electricity, unstable and chaotic. Daniella blocked it out, trying to concentrate on unlocking the door despite the agonizing sound.

Fernando yelped, covering his ears as a screaming assaulted his hearing, tearing through his music and sleep. He sprang out of bed, his head ringing, tearing his headphones out of his ears - the hairs on the back of his neck were raised. _What's happening?_ Fernando inhaled deeply, several times, stuffing his phone and headphones into his pocket - but then he realized he could smell burning. Was that _smoke?_ He hadn't been cooking anything, he'd switched off the kettle, hadn't he? Why was the fire alarm going off? Why were all the lights off? He'd left the corridor light on, but the space beneath his door was dark.

He opened his door - then it fully hit him. Fernando coughed repeatedly, covering his mouth, as he staggered down the corridor, confused by sleep, the horrid screech of the fire alarm, and the smell of smoke in the air. "What on earth?" Then he saw the faint glow under Linda and Tulio's bedroom door. He turned the handle, just as Daniella unlocked the door with the paperclip.

"What's going on?" He threw it open. Daniella was saved from being crushed by the handle hitting the wall - the door was inches from her face. Fernando froze, momentarily shocked at the sight of the flames, and for a moment, he was paralyzed by shock. Daniella regained her senses and dived out of the room just in time, before he slammed the door. Daniella lay on the floor, unable to hear anything above her racing heart, shaking. Not noticing her, Fernando covered his mouth with his shirt, for the smoke was pouring through the door even though it was closed. Suddenly the smell of smoke was even worse, despite this.

"Oh, God!" He exclaimed, beginning to cough. The glow around and underneath the door grew brighter as the fire rushed toward it. Fernando staggered down the corridor, towards the stairs - but for some reason, he got halfway down them and released a cry of fear, and turned back. Fernando crumpled to the floor, so he was underneath the thickening layer of smoke. He was frantically calling someone on his phone, shouting, crying all at once.

"The house is on fire! I can't get out!" There was a high-pitched voice on the other side, shouting unintelligible words. Daniella recovered from the shock of almost being burned alive, and went down the stairs herself, determined to - she held that thought. It was there she saw it, and realized what had made Fernando turn back. Her heart plunged into ice.

Fire blazed in the kitchen, was spreading into the living room and creeping toward the stairs. _He's set the whole house alight!_ The calender flew to the ground and lay in a pile of black ash. Tea towels lit up, the bookcase and wooden table caught fire. The puddle of alcohol on the floor exploded into flame the moment fire came into contact with it, pouring across the floor in the blink of an eye. The kitchen door was open, half screened by fire, her escape - Fernando couldn't reach it, but she could fly over the danger. Rain fell outside, ironically. But it looked cold and tempting, calling her.

She could leave right now, save her own life. The door was right there... but for some reason, Daniella's wings didn't flap towards it. She stayed rooted to the spot, before the flames, the heat buffeting her head feathers. _I'm not leaving without Emori!_ Where was Emori? Slow, burning anger began to manifest, as she thought of Marcos. He was destroying the house - destroying them. She had no more sympathy in her heart for him.

She knew this was it. It was time to face Marcos, once and for all. _Unless... where are they?_ Somehow, Daniella managed to slow her heart, so her blood was no longer roaring in her ears. She listened for their voices. Then she heard it. _"Help me!"_ Daniella whipped round - then she saw the ajar basement door, where Emori's voice was coming from. She momentarily hesitated, petrified.

 _I'm scared._ It was horrifically simple. The heat, the noise, the burning light... it was too much. Daniella tried to find a moment of calm. _You need to be brave. Have courage, Dani._ She raced toward the basement, towards Emori and Marcos.


	42. A beast

"You're going to come outside with me. We're going to go to the room window, and watch your precious friend die together!"

"Never!" Emori spat, but then Marcos threw her. Emori went crashing down the basement stairs, into the water - the burst pipe, combined with the rainwater trickling through the window, now meant that the room was flooded. The water was about three inches deep now, and Emori was almost submerged. She seized a box and clawed her way out of the water. _Window!_ Emori battered her sodden wings, frantically trying to reach the window - but Marcos got there first, slamming it shut.

"No, no!" Emori exclaimed, desperately trying to lift it, but the handle was heavy - it would take more than a full grown macaw to open it.

"Too slow." Marcos gloated. Emori spun round, yellow and blue eyes burning like coals.

"Joke's on you. Now you're stuck as well!" Emori retorted, mockingly. Marcos looked at the window with a confused expression - then he released a squawk of rage at his foolish mistake. He directed his fury at Emori, by swiping with a wing, striking Emori from the air. It was there Marcos began viciously trying to lash his claws, aiming for her. _Fight back! Fight back..._ Emori wanted to. She wanted desperately to hurt him, to make him pay for everything he'd done. But with the fire raging upstairs, the rising water, and Marcos trapping her, she had death on the brain.

 _I'm going to die. I'm going to die._ She barely felt Marcos flinging her around the room, no matter how many walls she hit, or objects she crashed into. Finally, she was thrown, hard, onto a dusty cabinet. Marcos slammed his three-toed talon onto her chest, so she was unable to move. Emori tried to breathe, but smoke was beginning to pour into the room, scratching her lungs with every inhale. Sure enough, Marcos began to cough too, but he ignored the danger.

"You destroyed everything I had!" Marcos loomed over her, with blazing eyes, before thrusting her into the air, holding her by the throat. Emori gasped and tried to pry his wings from her neck. "You and that little brat just couldn't leave and let me get on with my plan, could you? You just couldn't help yourselves! What were you trying prove?"

"We weren't going to let you kill Anya and ruin the island!" Emori choked. _But he did kill her, really._ "You were never going to let me leave. If you did, why did you tell Daniella to leave without me? You enjoyed killing my family and seeing me suffer -" Emori paused to cough - the scent of smoke grew worse, for it pooled down through the floorboards above. The fire was now directly over the basement. Bits of wood and dust were falling down, at an alarming rate, and there was the groan of wood and a crashing sound. The wood shuddered.

"I didn't." Marcos lied, bitterly, although there was a little truth in his next words. "And I didn't enjoy killing your parents. I didn't want to do it. I didn't want to kill Corey, Eden or Anya." _Then why do it?!_ Emori wanted to scream. "I just couldn't risk them uncovering my little secret."

 _You're a desperate, paranoid freak!_ Emori thought, in fury. _Why did you chose_ my _mom and dad? Of everyone to frame, why them?_ She didn't know why she was asking herself this, because she already knew - he'd said a newcomer was a more suspicious candidate. He'd killed two birds with one stone, literally and metaphorically. Putting himself safely out of the frame by pinning Corey's murder on two new islanders who were part of a common species he loathed.

"You robbed me of a normal life!" Emori refused to let the tears flow. "You wrecked my childhood. Because of _you_ I've spent my whole life terrified of who I am, that my parents could be murderers! Did you think Melodia and Gylfie and Anya and everyone else would be enough to fill the gap you created? No, they weren't! You denied me of a family by trying to isolate me from everyone!" Emori's voice cracked. "Do you know how it feels, to be lonely? Laying, alone in a tree away from everyone else, desperate for sleep, with not a friend in the world?"

"I do know!" Marcos snapped, suddenly. His voice would have broken before, but now it didn't because his heart had hardened. "My mother was slaughtered by filthy common crows. She died, in feverish hell, from the wound a crow had delivered with rotting claws, just because our kind was 'too weak' to defend itself from invaders that ruined our homeland. My father went insane from grief! I've lain alone at night, while my father spoke to my dead mother outside!"

"It's not the same! I didn't even get a chance to get to know my family! All I have of them is a ribbon! You've become even worse than a few crows. I've been an outcast my entire life, thanks to you! You're a _beast!"_ She saw one of his hideous, raw burns, and saw an opportunity. Holding the contents of her stomach, Emori darted out a claw, into the infected burn. With a shriek of pain, Marcos instinctively leapt back, and Emori sprung free, lashing his face with a talon as she did. Marcos made a growling, animalistic sound as he looked around for her - there had been a splash, and she was no where in sight.

"Where are you?" He demanded. Emori, clinging onto a wooden ladder, hid from Marcos, half submerged by the rising water. Marcos began stalking around the basement, searching, thrusting his head into boxes, beady green eyes scouring the water for signs. "You're just as weak as your mother was." Marcos began to taunt her, and Emori tried to block it out. "She liked hiding, too. She tried to hide you from me! Do you remember?" _I do..._ Emori cursed herself for listening. "I remember the look on her face. Yes, yes... the heartbreak she felt, the _fear..."_

 _Shut up. Shut up. Shut up._ Emori's blood grew hot with her growing rage. "Costia was such a sweet bird. Anya and Gylfie really grew fond of her, it was such a waste. She could have been a wonderful mother to you, probably would have still been alive, had she not caught me in the act..." There was still no movement, despite the hatred growing within Emori. Marcos narrowed his eyes, before sighing heavily. "I suppose everyone thinks about the mother too much, with her 'noble sacrifice'. Let's talk about something else. Speaking of the act, perhaps we should discuss your father..."

"Don't listen." Emori whispered to herself, trying to obey her thoughts. But the malice she felt for Marcos grew and grew, like the fire upstairs.

"Embry was nice enough. Good friends with Corey, pretty much anyone." Marcos was wandering closer to her hiding place, his voice growing louder, so Emori could hear every word. Her blood was boiling, and she was shaking in her hate. "But so stupid. I don't know how he didn't realize _I_ was the one who attacked him the day I killed Corey, to rough him up and make him look like the culprit. He realized too late, because it was that moment I ended his life he realized -"

Emori lost it. With a cry of anger, Emori flung herself from her hiding place, not caring about the danger. She tried to latch her claws into him, but Marcos heard her and was prepared. He seized her from the air, and they tumbled into the water below. Marcos pinned Emori under the surface - she struggled violently, but his talons were heavy, trapping her underwater. She continued, fiercely clawing and trying to break free.

"Stop struggling!" Marcos snarled above the surface, before he threw his weight down, so Emori plunged to the ground. The force of him sent her head flinging back, down onto the stone. Emori was stunned, and stopped struggling for a moment. The water pressed in, as Marcos trapped her under it.

Daniella finally threw open the basement door, dashing down the stairs, into the room. She had spent a moment torn between helping Fernando and helping Emori, but, with guilt crushing her, she'd left the human on his own and came to find Emori. The rush of water sounded, and she was shocked to see that the basement was now flooded - by now, it was almost seven inches deep. It was such a contrast, with the blazing heat and fiery blaze upstairs, and down here, the cold, dark stone and water rising. It was lapping toward the first stone step, and some things were beginning to float. "Emori, where are you?" She called, frantically.

It was then that she heard splashing. Daniella's heart plunged, as, in the basement - slightly illuminated by a small light bulb hanging overhead - she spotted Marcos. He was almost up to his chest in water but he was holding something beneath the surface, a murderous glint in both eyes. There was no doubt in her mind who he was trying to drown. She threw herself across the gap, knocking into the Cuban Red macaw and dislodging him from Emori. Marcos, so focused on his task, was so surprised he went crashing through boxes.

Daniella plunged into the water, which was eerily cold, when her friend didn't resurface. Emori floated just over the floor and barely moved, for she had hit her head on the stone. Daniella's head feathers swept over her vision as she grabbed Emori and kicked off the floor, blindly grabbing onto a crate to stop themselves sinking. Hauling Emori, Daniella managed to shove her to safety, before she pulled herself out. Emori, with smoke and water in her lungs, was coughing more than Daniella was, and she was shaking.

"How many times must I try to kill you?" Marcos said, for the second time Daniella had known him, emerging from the boxes - a bead of blood trickled from over his eyes. The water had washed off most of the mud, so that the colour was back, albeit streaked with black from burns. There was a crashing over their heads, and the floorboards overheard groaned louder than ever. Splinters were raining down, crushed by a weight of collapsed ceiling, the fire eating away at the wood.

"Do you really think this insanity will make anything better?" Daniella clung onto Emori, briefly pulling her attention away from Marcos. Emori felt weak and limp, as Daniella cradled her, her wing wrapped all the way round so that it was covering her cheek, which was soaked and cold. Daniella's voice broke and tears fell, but as she looked at Marcos with blazing eyes, her fear turned to anger. "Look around you, Marcos! Is this what you wanted?" Before, Marcos would have looked around in remorse, at the chaos he had created. But not now. He had no care left in the shrivelled thing he called his heart.

"I don't care." Marcos said, simply and bluntly. Daniella let go of Emori, flying up to Marcos - but before she could try to reason with him, he launched himself toward her. Sickened, Daniella finally realized that Marcos - the negotiable and hesitant one reluctant to kill her before - was gone forever. Daniella dived clear as Marcos swung a broom stick missing its handle. "Get back here, you little creep!" Marcos yelled, trying to hit her again.

Daniella tried to evade him, but Marcos was fast enough. With a swipe, he sent her flying into the wall, where she clung onto the ladder Emori had found before. She scrabbled up, out of the water, clinging to a rung, gasping. Marcos flew toward her, squawking. Thinking fast, Daniella pushed herself between the ladder and the wall, pushing against it. The ladder fell forwards, hitting Marcos, and he was sent into the water. He resurfaced, gasping, eyes fixated on Daniella who had clambered onto a low wooden shelf a foot above Marcos and the water level. The floorboards sqeauled again, and there was the sound of breaking wood. The flickering basement lamp was shaking, coming loose. Then, as something above fell onto it, it completely detached. It, and the wires, fell like writhing snakes toward the water below.

The bulb was still working - the wires came streaming, still attached to the ceiling. Horror dawned upon Daniella. She clung to the dry wooden shelf, knowing that it wasn't a conductor, but she knew water could carry a current. And Marcos was up to his neck in it, trapped by the ladder...

"Marcos!" She screamed, and despite everything, tried to reach toward him. But Marcos didn't understand the danger. He simply laughed, opened his beak to spit an insult. But then the wires and the light bulb plunged into the water, near Marcos, and Daniella lurched back, with a screech of fear. She closed her eyes, pressed against the wall and covering her head.

There was the sound of fizzing and sparking as the light bulb came into contact with the water - but then there was a great shrieking and frantic splashing, the worst imaginable. For a moment, Marcos released a blood-curdling screech, convulsing in the water. In a heartbeat, it was over. There was a terrifying silence. Daniella dared to open her eyes, looking down - Marcos bobbed in the water, smoke rising from his feathers. A few floated in the water around him. Emori's beak opened, but no sound came out.

 _Is he dead?_ Daniella looked across the water, to Emori. There was a long silence. "Marcos." Emori said, finally, in a whisper of a voice. Daniella stared at the bobbing thing, which was slowly sinking. Emori went to move toward her, wobbling precariously on the wooden crate, but Daniella screamed, throwing her wing toward Emori despite the wide space between them.

 _"No!_ Don't move! Don't touch the water, it's still -" before Daniella could finish, the ceiling shook. It was that moment that it began to collapse.


	43. Dwindling

Bia, Azure, Rafael and Eva stared up at the building in absolute horror. The rain was a mere drizzle now, but inside the windows and flaring by the open door, white and amber flame blazed, hissing and spitting, waving with long, burning arms that clawed at the night. The fire hissed, spat, and they could feel the heat from the treeline. Smoke began to rise, in a tall cloud, above the trees. Flashbacks began to flicker through their minds. Rafael and Eva had been in the Amazon at the time, when the drought had made the rainforest burst into flame.

 _"She's gone back for Azure!"_

 _"Azure, where are you?"_

 _"Bia, Bia! Help me!"_

Bia's wing clutched onto Azure's, the one with the scar _that_ fire had given him. It was still there - not as thick and obvious as it had once been, but now a thin, long white line sitting along the wing bone. "Fire. Why did it have be fire?" She felt a rush of fear. Azure's wing shook slightly under her grasp - he was remembering it too. "What happened?" They all looked at Rafael, who looked mortified and confused.

"Alectro didn't mention a fire! He just said there was a maniac bird breaking in and trashing the place! He must have left before the fire started -" Rafael couldn't finish, because it was that moment that Leo appeared from the bushes, eyes wide as he saw the fire. Bia and Azure stared at him in alarm, before, several moments later, Pedro, Nico and Mia arrived, having found a reluctant neighbour to look after the baby toucans. They went to apologize for letting Leo go, but then they all saw the flaming house, and were knocked speechless.

"What the -" Nico began, eventually.

"Never mind, let's get out of here!" Eva seized Rafael's wing, and the smaller birds, despite their confusion, went to go back the way they came. Azure went to follow, pulling Bia with him and reaching forwards to usher Leo along, but Bia was frozen to the spot, eyes fixed on the flames. The whole group paused, seeing her freeze. Azure looked at Bia in worry. They hadn't encountered fire since the incident - had it really had that much of an effect on her? Like how Sophia was terrified of caves, and Daniella traumatized by water?

"Baby, come on! We can't be here -" but it wasn't that. Bia wasn't traumatized by the sight of the flames. She was listening. "Bia!" Azure said, urgently, and Leo stared at his mother in bewilderment.

"Mom?" He asked.

"Just listen! I heard something." Bia stepped forward, even closer, to their discomfort. Azure went to protest, but then he paused. It was faint under the hiss of the fire, but he heard a male voice, yelling for help - inside the house.

"You're hearing things, Az! Hop along -" Pedro began, but then Mia, who was closest, turned her head.

"I heard it!" Mia exclaimed. "Listen!"

"It sounds like... Fernando." It was. Inside the house, Fernando was stumbling about, yelling at the top of his voice, because he couldn't get out. "He's trapped!" Azure realized, with a start. Rafael and Eva looked at each other with enormous eyes, Pedro and Nico looked as though they wanted to fly a mile. They all looked at Bia, who knew the humans best.

"We have to get him out of there!" Bia declared, but as soon as she said it, the birds fell silent. Nobody stepped forward, full of ideas and determination. No one had to speak to show how terrible an idea they thought it was. They couldn't help Fernando - it was impossible, surely... it was unbelievably dangerous.

"But - but -" Rafael extended his wing toward the fire, not needing to speak to emphasize his point. "The fire's too dangerous! We can't." Bia looked at the toucan with pained eyes, but then she looked back at the fire.

"Raffie's right! You're crazy!" Pedro insisted, stirring her. Bia looked at him, then Azure. She pulled him to the side.

"I... I lost my child. I can't let Linda and Tulio lose theirs." Automatically, Azure considered that Fernando wasn't, biologically - but then, that didn't matter. Fernando was still their son, and Bia's friend. "We can't just let him die... you have to help me. Please."

"Bia, listen to yourself! You're talking about going into a house on fire!" Azure whispered, unwilling, full of fear. Bia stared into his eyes, pleading, anguished. Azure tried not to let himself be persuaded by the agonized expression in her eyes. But, despite the undeniable danger, he began to realize, deep down, that they had to try help Fernando. _He and his family have done so much for birds... we have to give something back, don't we?_

"Listen to your mate! It's far dangerous!" Eva interrupted his flow of thoughts. She whirled Bia around to face her, shaking her as if to shake sense into her. "You can't expect to fly into that house and come out unharmed! Just look at it!"

"Bia's right." Azure said. There were a few shocked 'what's, and Leo's eyes widened. He had been silent the whole time, and now his face was flooded with horror at the words, the realization of what his parents were considering. He still didn't say a word, just stood there, silent.

"The fire hasn't spread to that part of the house yet!" Bia pointed out. "That window's old, and could easily be broken. If we were just to get in there and guide Fernando to the window... he could jump out!"

"It's over a ten foot drop!" Nico pointed out. That would seriously injure Fernando. Bia realized the flaw, and desperately looked for a solution. She could drive - she had helped Tiago drive a tree harvester once, maybe it wouldn't be much different to drive the jeep. But then, as she realized the clearing seemed emptier than normal, it became clear that Tulio had taken it.

"How about those vines?" Mia pointed. Bia spun round, and caught sight of the vines, hanging in the trees - some certainly big enough to withstand a human. There was a long pause, as the others were torn between helping and fleeing. Then...

"Find a strong, thick one." Rafael said, eventually, and at this, the others seemed to accept that they had to help. "Do you... need help?"

"We're enough. We won't be a minute." _We can't endanger our friends._ Bia shook slightly, but she knew it was the right thing to do. Azure took her wing again, and they looked at their friends, and then the fire. But then Leo rushed forwards, finally realizing what was about to happen. He was consumed with fear, at the thought of losing his parents.

"Mom, dad! Don't!" He cried, fearfully. "You can't!" Leo's voice was full of terror. Bia went to say something to him, but then his next words broke her heart. "I can't lose you too!" He was thinking of Daniella.

But then Azure seized Leo, blue eyes staring into Leo's dark hazel ones. "Listen to me, Leo. We'll be around for a long time yet, around to bother you and grow grey feathers. We can't let Fernando die!" Azure held him tight. "I swear, your mother and I will come back to you. Then we'll find your sister and leave this place, together. Me, your mom, Daniella and you. We'll be out of there in moments."

"You heard your dad." Bia knelt so she was at Leo's level in Azure's wings. She held his face, hazel eyes flooded with determination. _We won't leave him on his own. I swear it._ "Remember my words. You know, deep down, that we'll come out of there just fine."

Leo's eyes glistened. "Promise me."

"We'll be right back, Leo. I promise." She kissed him on the forehead, staying there longer than she usually would. Leo stayed between his parents for a moment, before reluctantly sliding to the grass. He retreated, and Eva pulled him to her side, in a tender motion unlike her normal demeanour.

"Go." Eva murmured, after a few moments. "I'll look after him." Bia and Azure gave her a small smile, before turning toward the house, the part that hadn't succumbed to fire. Eva began ushering Leo toward the vines to help the others, to distract him. But Leo shook like a leaf, watching his parents move toward the flaming house, as the others scoured the treeline for a strong vine.

"Wait." Azure stopped, before they took flight. Bia turned to him, but she was immediately surprised by the passionate kiss he planted on her. Her heart thudded with warmth stronger than any flame, but no matter how much she wanted the kiss to last, she drew away.

"Don't kiss me as if it's the last time." She whispered, looking back at Leo. "We're both coming out of this, Az. But you can kiss me all you like afterwards." Azure's eyes softened for a moment, and he brought in a little humour despite the situation they faced.

"I intend to." He gave her his crooked smile.

 _Inside_

The crack in the floorboards didn't last a heartbeat. It disappeared as soon as it was created, because then bricks and wood was crashing down, like grey and brown hail. Water cascaded over the room, and Daniella was forced into the water as debris crashed toward her. She sank down, blood pounding, waiting for the electricity to do its work - but, for some reason, it didn't. Daniella was momentarily surprised, but then a pressure built in her lungs. She began trying to reach the surface, but her feathers dragged her down. She was reminded it was difficult for a bird to swim, without something to hold onto.

Daniella's talons brushed something soft, and she felt a swirl of panic. But when she looked down, it was only a piece of carpet. Her relief didn't last, because below that, she saw a form, in the dark. It lay on the stone floor, and despite the darkness, Daniella knew he would be burned beyond recognition. She didn't make herself look, since the very thought sickened her. She didn't check to see if bubbles were still streaming from his beak - she couldn't save him anyway. Finally clambering onto some floating wood, Daniella hauled herself upwards, bursting through the surface. Coughing and gasping for air, Daniella realized that the wire connecting the lightbulb to the power source had been severed by the breaking ceiling. It was by some miracle that it had been broken before Daniella had hit the water.

She grabbed the wooden shelf, to safety - or so she thought, until she turned around. Flaming debris piled on top of stone and wood which blazed. Bits of fire and cinders rained down from upstairs, roared in the gap that had once been a sheet of floorboards. A chair and a set of broken drawers were just two of the household objects in with the mess, aflame. But worst of all, it reached both sides of the tiny basement, laying between Daniella and Emori. Daniella was trapped in the dark, on the side with the window too heavy for her to lift. She tried anyway, but to no avail. Looking at the mess, panic grew when she remembered Emori, and failed to spot her.

"Emori! Are you okay?" She cried, blood pounding. A feeble coughing was the initial response, yet Daniella could have wept in relief at that moment. She feared she'd have no answer at all.

"I'm fine!" Emori sounded strangled. The basement door was open, smoke pouring down - Emori was exposed to more smoke, and the effects of Marcos' attack were still felt. She was still trying to recover from Marcos trying to drown her, and the strike to her head from the stone floor meant that pain was throbbing through her mind. Coughing, weakly flying to the pile of debris, Emori landed rather heavily, trying to sift the rubble aside. But she leapt back, suddenly. "Something just sparked!"

Indeed, a ceiling light lay on top of the rubble, flickering and sparking before eventually dying out. Daniella realized how lucky she had been, to have been in the water and not having something electrical in it at the same time. But was that the case now? She could see a damaged television, the screen cracked so much it looked like a spiderweb, and a smashed tablet. "Don't touch anything electrical! Avoid the water!"

Emori was blank, but she assumed Daniella meant the human objects. Daniella desperately tried to see Emori, finally catching a glimpse of her through the flames. Emori was covered in dust by the ceiling collapse, although she was more concerned with her ribbon - it was miraculously undamaged. Relieved that her one reminder of her family was intact, Emori looked at Daniella with huge eyes, pausing to cough.

"Come on! Before -" the room shook again, and more debris began to fall. Fragments of fire and stone rained down through the gap, and the flames in the rubble grew taller. The distance between Daniella and Emori grew, as they stumbled backwards to avoid the danger. Daniella looked up at the fire, the rubble. Surely, she couldn't fly over that without catching fire, or without getting hit by falling debris...

"I can't! It's too -" before Daniella could finish, Emori was distracted by a loud snap overhead.

"Daniella, look out!" Daniella whipped her head up, in time to see a floorboard sweeping towards her - but she didn't move fast enough. It struck her, sent her flying into the water, yet again. Daniella tried to fight her way to oxygen, but then a piece of stone fell, trapping her wing to mound of debris. She released a sharp cry underwater, trying to free her wing, but failing. The cold water swirled around her, her lungs began to scream for air, and soon she didn't care about being careful. Air, air, air, was all she wanted. Daniella desperately yanked at her wing to free it, so forcefully, she felt a sharp, tearing pain. She screamed under the water, in agony. Blinded by pain, Daniella grabbed hold of a wooden stick - the headless broom handle Marcos had almost struck her with.

One winged and using her talons, Daniella pulled herself out, clutching the wing that had been struck. Blood and water trickled through the blue feathers, darting in all directions down her filaments, like river tributaries. She tried to extend it, but immediately pulled it back with a hiss. It hurt far too much - like needles. "Are you hurt? Have you broken anything?" Despite her concern, Emori was rolling her head, as if fighting to stay awake. That wasn't a good sign, but the pain in Daniella's wing distracted her.

"No... but I don't think I'll be able to..." Daniella tried to fly, but the injury screamed in protest, and she admitted defeat. She wouldn't be able to fly with it. She didn't know what she'd done to it, but when she pushed back the feathers, the skin was rapidly darkening around the wound, which glared back at her. Her shoulder felt funny from where the wing had been pulled with such force, although the bones were still intact. "Oh, no."

Daniella looked up at the mountain of rubble, feathers bushed despite the water weighing them down. The fire was rapidly beginning to spread across the debris - she couldn't get to Emori. _I'm trapped and grounded._ Daniella fought away her tears, knowing that her odds of survival were trickling away as the flames grew larger and the ceiling grew more unsteady. More cracks were appearing - but then, the basement door was still open. At least Emori had a chance of escape. "Get out of here, go!"

 _"No!_ Not without you!" Emori clung to a stone to steady herself, but as more smoke filled her lungs and exhaustion rapidly consumed her, she was sliding to the wood and stone beneath her. Daniella looked on, horrified - there was no way she'd be able to drag an unconscious Emori out, with one damaged wing.

"Don't you dare! Stay awake!" Daniella shouted, firmly. Emori looked up, the smoke making her eyes stream - or maybe they were tears, of terror. Daniella frantically looked for a solution. "I'm going to see if there's a way through. Stay awake, or get yourself out of here!" Daniella momentarily let her gaze linger on her weakening friend, before she faded from view.

Emori swayed again, before she found herself kneeling. _Don't do it. Stay awake..._ but it was too much. She crumpled on top of the debris, eyes closed, the smoke, the exhaustion, and the blow to her head overwhelming her young body.


	44. Everglow

Glass sprayed across the bathroom tiles as a large stone was thrown through it. Bia and Azure landed on the windowsill, being careful to avoid the shards of sharp, flat icicles poking towards their sides. Together, they broke the shards away with stones, before flying into the house. The bathroom had looked untouched from the outside - but this wasn't the case on the inside. A large crack was developing in the ceiling, fire was creeping through the door, and the brown mist - smoke - was thick, cinders flying through it like glowing moths. As soon as they got into the bathroom, they began to splutter.

"Smoke!" Bia covered her beak, her eyes already stinging. "We'll have to keep low to avoid the worst part of it." They went down, onto the bathroom floor, and headed to the door, avoiding the trail of fire and ducking the cinders. They heard Fernando as they approached, coughing and talking to himself. _Not himself - he's on his phone._

 _"Emergency services are on their way. Senor, we've contacted your father and someone's on the line to your mother. Where in the house are you?"_

 _"I'm upstairs -"_ Fernando stopped to gasp and splutter. "I'm trapped. I can't get down to the door - hello? Hello!" Fernando shouted into the phone, but there was no reply. Fernando cursed, over and over. But Bia and Azure barely heard it over the wail of the fire alarm.

"What's that horrible noise?" Azure covered his head.

"Fire alarm!" Bia replied, also covering her ears in pain. "Come on!" She pushed the door and it swung open. They were greeted by the upstairs corridor, unrecognizable and shrouded in thick smoke. Fire was creeping up the stairs banister, cresting the top. The walls glowed a frightening orange from the fire in the kitchen - not like the bright amber fleck within Azure's right iris, but more like a jaguar's burning gaze. Linda and Tulio's bedroom door was closed, but flames had passed through the edges and were glowing in a fiery rectangle, spreading onto the wallpaper and towards the bathroom door. They couldn't imagine the firestorm raging within, but if they left it too long, the flames would spread into their escape.

"Look! There he is." Azure was staring down the corridor, eyes wide with shock. Fernando was on hands on knees, curled into himself. He was coughing, skin soaked with his own sweat, clutching onto his useless phone. His left arm was covered by a burn from where he'd attempted to go down the flaming stairs, and the sleeve was black and curling up. Fernando's coughing was racking his lungs - anyone would have thought he was trying to splutter up his organs. Bia and Azure looked at each other, aware that time was running out. Fernando wasn't far from unconsciousness.

"Fernando!" Bia knew he wouldn't understand, but their squawks were sure to stir him. Slowly, Fernando looked up. His vision was blurred, but he saw the two blue smudges, could hear them. He couldn't tell whether they were real or he was imagining them.

Bia and Azure began to squawk - Bia rushed forwards, pulling at Fernando's sleeve, in the direction of the bathroom. Fernando looked up with smoke-stung brown eyes, feeling too heavy to move, but then the flames coming out of Linda and Tulio's doorframe made him realize he had to. Slowly, struggling to breathe, Fernando began to drag his limbs together to push himself off the floor. Azure frantically looked outside, but to his relief, Rafael, Eva, Nico, and Pedro were tying a large vine to the towel rack which was just beneath the window. Mia kept Leo far back, away from the danger - Azure saw the sickening fear in Leo's eyes.

"Hurry!" Rafael urged. "The fire's getting worse!" Azure spun back round, and began to help Bia - while she tugged his sleeve to guide him, Azure pulled his shirt collar. Fernando began to stagger along, heavily - so heavily, when he reached the door, his arm flew out and unintentionally hit Bia. Azure immediately abandoned the task, to see if Bia was alright.

"Bia!" He exclaimed, from where she had been sent flying into a plant pot.

"I'm fine..." Bia replied, emerging from the spiky leaves. In the bathroom, Rafael and Eva perched on the windowsill, squawked to get Fernando's attention. Their bright beaks stood out in his vision, and Fernando was, briefly, more alert by the fresh air streaming in. He gasped, and stumbled toward the windowsill, confused by the vine - but he realized it was long enough to reach the ground. Fumbling, Fernando clambered out the window, began slipping down the vine, delirious and barely aware of his actions.

"Bia, Azure! Come on, it's -" Mia began, but she couldn't finish. Somehow, a cinder flew onto the towel rack, hitting the towels and setting them alight. The flames grew in seconds, tall, covering the open window. It burned through the vine, so Fernando went plummeting to the ground. Luckily he was close enough not to injured badly - he crawled away from the house, collapsing in the clearing and slipping into unconsciousness. Inside the house, Bia and Azure looked at the window in horror; the fire blocked their escape.

"No!" Leo's panicked voice pierced through the flames. Through the fire, Bia and Azure were horrified to see how close he was to the danger, as he rushed to see if they were alright.

"Get back, Leo!" Shrieked Bia, as the fire swelled. Nico and Pedro, who were closest, rushed forwards to pull him out of harm's way, and the fire spat at them as they pulled Leo away from the window. Leo strained against them, desperate to see his parents.

"Kid, stop!" Pedro pleaded. "You'll kill yourself!" Bia and Azure looked desperately at their friends and Leo, who continued to fight against the struggling Nico and Pedro.

"You're trapped!" Mia exclaimed, in horror.

"We'll find another way out!" Azure declared, trying to sound confident. "The kitchen door! We'll fly over the flames... keep Leo away from the fire!" Rafael went forwards, and he was enough to restrain Leo, since Nico and Pedro had been struggling. Leo protested as he was dragged away.

"Hurry!" Eva urged, eyes wide. "If you're quick, you can get out!" Bia and Azure momentarily paused, taking a moment to see if Fernando was alright. Then, flying as fast as they could, they dashed through the house, down the stairs. Almost immediately a plume of fire roared towards them, and Azure threw out his wing as he leapt - he pulled Bia down with him, so the flame attacked the air above them.

They lay there face-down at the foot of the steps, wings covering each other as they crawled away from the unbearable heat. Clinging to one another, they got to their feet, but momentarily froze on the stairs. Bound in each other's wings, they saw the flames consuming the house, hot, blinding. The kitchen turned amber from the fire, blazing bright. Cinders flew, glowing and dangerously close.

"The door -" Azure began, seeing the kitchen door wide open - the flames didn't reach high enough to stop them getting through. Through it, they glimpsed their friends and Leo, who had his face pressed into Rafael's plumage, unable to watch. The toucans, Nico, Pedro and Mia desperately scanned the house - they couldn't see Bia and Azure from their position. It was there that something caught his eye. Azure stooped, and plucked up a green feather, off the floor. It was soft and fluffy - a small flight feather, too small to be that of a grown bird. He and Bia looked at the feather, and then, they heard a coughing from the basement.

"Someone's down there." Said Bia.

Downstairs, Daniella paced up and down the line of rubble, clinging onto her agonized wing which seemed to feel loose from her shoulder. Everytime she found a gap and began to clamber up toward it, fire sprung into it and forced her back down. The water had stopped rising for some reason, but it was still deep, dark, and dangerous. She kept expecting Marcos to come springing out of the water, that he'd pull her in to a watery grave. He was down there somewhere...

She looked through the flame, at Emori, and she was mortified to see her, slumped face-down. "Emori! Wake up!" Momentarily she was full of panic, but she realized with relief that Emori was still breathing. The panic returned with a vengeance, when more debris showered the rubble mountain between her and Emori, when she realized she would have to drag Emori out - with a dislocated wing, fire upstairs, and water all around. She had to get to Emori, _now_.

Daniella huddled her injured wing to her chest, right over her amethyst necklace. She took a moment to feel the cool, smooth stone, the pleasant roughness of the coconut fibres that had replaced the chain. Her parents had said that amethyst meant to encourage bravery and luck. Reluctantly, she put her talons into the water, holding onto a wooden floorboard. If there was no gap under the surface, she and Emori were truly doomed. Inhaling and pausing to cough, Daniella dropped into the water, using the floorboards to ensure she didn't sink to the bottom. She desperately tried to see in the gloom, but it was only darkness. Daniella kept looking.

Bia and Azure looked around the basement, which was lit up by a large hole in the ceiling - the fire above and in the room made everything that unsettling amber. "I was so sure I heard -" but then Bia grabbed Azure's wing, pointed.

"Look down there!" She exclaimed, in shock. "There's a chick!" A little girl with green and brown feathers lay on her front, splayed and slumped on a pile of rocks. A coral pink ribbon tied her long, numerous brown head feathers into a high bunch that resembled pineapple leaves, the two ribbon ends hanging down, to the middle of her back. Soot and ash covered her, masking her exact species. They rushed to her side, turning her over - she was breathing. "Alive." Said Bia, in a moment of relief. The room groaned, and the couple jolted as dust showered them from above. "Let's get out of here!" Bia picked up the unconscious chick, and went to fly up the stairs.

"I'm right behind you!" Azure went to follow, but then there was a splash that made him stop. Bia, in the chaos and haste to get out, was so sure he was close behind as she left the basement, the chick in her talons. Azure ignored the fact that he was left alone in a fire, for the second time in his life - something within told him to stay. He listened. The splashing continued - then there was the sound of gasping, and coughing. On the other side, Daniella burst through the surface, having spent far too long under the water.

"Emori, I can't -" Daniella clambered up to see Emori, but when she did, she realized Emori wasn't there. She went cold. "Emori?" There was no answer, no sign. "Emori!" She cried. Azure's heart almost stopped, because he knew that voice. He hadn't heard it in so long, but he knew it. He hesitated, before calling out.

"Daniella?" He asked. Daniella froze - that wasn't Emori's voice. She knew it so well... but how could that be? Did you hear the voices of loved ones when you died? But the pain in her wing was still very real, and the heat was growing still. The voice was really addressing her. "Daniella?" It said again, so familiar. Daniella shook her head slightly, in disbelief.

"Dad?" She said, not expecting an answer. But then she saw him. Azure stood on the other side of the flaming debris. Daniella couldn't believe it - her heart raced, she had to blink several times. But he was real, standing there in the basement, exactly as she remembered. The realization hit her. "Dad!" Daniella cried, and Azure's eyes found her.

"Dani!" He shouted, in shock - and then joy. Daniella tried to get closer, but the flames pushed her back. "Stay there, I'm coming!" Azure launched off the stones, soaring over the flames, and he landed before her - the moment his talons touched the ground, Daniella leapt at him. Azure enveloped her in his wings, holding her so tight it hurt her wing, but in the sheer happiness of the reunion, Daniella felt no pain. He was scented just like she remembered - like the fresh breeze flowing off water. "Oh, my beautiful girl, where have you been? I can't believe it!" Azure really couldn't believe it. He pressed his beak onto Daniella's forehead, his heart pounding.

"It's an unbelievably long story." Daniella whispered, not wanting to let go, ever. The moment was then broken, because the smell of smoke again assaulted her lungs, and she was finally reminded of the pain in her wing - she cried out, and Azure flinched. Then he saw her wing, and felt a swell of fear. "I can't fly with it." Daniella confessed.

"We'll fix that. Let's get you out of here!" Azure went to pick her up, but Daniella backed away.

"What about Emori?" Daniella asked, desperately. "I left her right there!" Azure immediately realized the connection. _That must be the chick we found!_

"Your mom's got her!" He answered, and Daniella's eyes widened. Then there was the sound of crackling, and the heat and smoke intensified. The basement door was aflame, the gap full of it. Azure's stomach dropped like a stone. The ceiling gap shook precariously, fire licking hungrily - they had only one option. "The window!" Azure exclaimed, only to see it shut. "Oh, no!" The glass was thick. He saw the handle - it was heavy, difficult for a fully grown macaw, but they didn't have a choice. He lifted Daniella onto the sill, grabbed hold of the window handle. "Help me, Daniella. We can do this, together!"

Bia escaped the kitchen door, and as she did, she was immediately greeted by cheers. Her friends stood on the edge of the clearing, leaping up and down. Leo rushed at her to hug her - before he saw what she carried, and they all did. The praise turned to concern, as Bia gently placed the girl in the grass. "Who the... how...?" Pedro looked up in puzzlement.

"She was in the basement." Bia panted, as she hugged Leo at last. "We don't know who -"

"Hang on." Leo stopped, freezing solid in her wings. Something was missing. "Mom. Where's dad?" A dreadful silence descended over them all. In the joy, nobody had noticed the missing piece. Bia turned around, but Azure was no where in sight. "Mom." Leo repeated. Bia turned in a full circle, but there was no sign of him.

"I... I don't understand." Bia said, for a moment, in confusion, as she put Leo down. But then it began to grow like a parasite. A slow, horrifying realization crashed down upon her, slapping her across the face. She looked back at the house, with the flames pouring out of the windows, now roaring out of the kitchen door. "No." She said, softly, refusing to accept. _"No..."_

 _"Where's Azure? He must have gotten lost in the fire! He was right behind us!"_ Bia remembered standing before the ignited rainforest, as the tribe realized, as Roberto, Sophia, Isaac, Bromeliad and Orchid fell into panic, that Azure was lost in the rainforest. That had been almost eight years ago. Now it was happening all over again, but now, it was much worse. She'd killed him. She had insisted on going into a house on fire, to save Fernando. This was all her fault. _My fault. I lost my daughter, and killed my mate._

"Mom... he's not still..." Leo stared, not understanding. But then Bia snapped out of her trance.

 _"No!"_ A blood-curdling scream. Bia ran toward the house, shrieking her mate's name. _"Azure!"_ Rafael and Eva gasped, and lunged, grabbing her wings and restraining her before she could kill herself. Bia fought fiercely, so much so that the toucans were dragged along the grass. They embedded their talons into the storm-soaked earth, but Bia pulled them forwards a few centimetres, leaving their claw trails in the mud. Mia, Nico and Pedro tried to help, but Bia's wing knocked them away.

"Bia, you can't! If you go back in there, you'll die -" Rafael tried, but Bia didn't accept.

"Get off me, Rafael!" She screeched, struggling to be free, straining toward the fire. "Azure -" Suddenly, from somewhere in the house, there was an explosion. The windows closest to them shattered, flames roared like gorgon heads. Bia, Rafael and Eva fell to the ground, and the lighter birds, Pedro, Nico, Mia and Leo, were knocked off their feet by the wave. They emerged from the ferns in a daze, Rafael pulled Eva to her feet, and Bia slowly sat up, wing outstretched. Her breath shuddered as she saw the cinders flying through the sky like red shooting stars.

Bia tried to run forwards again, but Eva, recovering, managed to keep her grasp. She locked her wings around the young Spix's macaw, to stop her from going into the flaming death trap. "Bia, stop! You can't go back! You can't!" Tears began in Eva's eyes. "I'm so sorry..."

"I don't care! I have to go back in!" Bia strained and shoved at the Keel-Billed toucan. "I have to go back, I have to go - I have to..." her screams ceased, and her struggles slowed down. "Azure..." she whispered, eyes fixed on the flames. She slid to the ground, on her knees, wings hanging by her sides. The silence was unbearable.

"I'm sorry." Whispered Mia, finally. The group were silent. Then, Nico took off his bottlecap, and bowed his head. Pedro's beak hung open, Mia's small wings covered her beak, Rafael simply stared. Leo just stood there, unable to absorb the reality of what had just happened. Eva, uncertain and on the brink of tears, crouched by her, uncertain - but then Bia released a cry of grief. Bia collapsed in her wings, screaming, sobbing, wings covering her face. She wept into her wings, into Eva, who didn't say a word. Leo began to tremble. Tears began. They dripped, slowly, agonizing. His eyes were blank, as though he were on another planet.

There was long, brutal moment of this. Bia weeping for the earth, Leo's tears dripping in silence, the other birds unable to absorb any of it. The sound of a window opening went unheard - but then, Nico looked up, his eyes filled with the beginnings of tears. There was a sharp inhale, and his bright yellow wing seized Mia's white one. "Look!" He exclaimed.

Azure, wings clasped over his chest, stood there by the open basement window - singed, but otherwise unharmed. Bia looked up, but then she leapt to her talons with a start. Her beak opened, but she couldn't form a word. Azure began to walk forwards, wings still clutching his chest, as though he were covering an injury. But as he came closer, it was then they noticed he wasn't in pain - he was carrying something.

Azure took a moment to catch his breath, to breathe in clean air. Then he revealed what treasure he had, nestled against his chest. There was a long silence - then Leo gasped, breaking the quiet, although he didn't move. Bia released a strangled cry, looking at Azure with tear-filled eyes as she covered her beak with the a wing. Daniella stirred in Azure's wings, looking up through blurry vision. Rain-soaked air filled her lungs, so clean. When it cleared, she saw her mother, staring down at her with disbelief in her hazel gaze.

"Mom." Daniella's heart thudded - she waited for her mother to scold her for going missing, to scream where she had been. Azure set her down gently, and she wobbled slightly. Bia didn't say a word - slowly, she reached forward to touch her face, as if to convince herself it was really happening, that her missing daughter was here, covered in soot and soaked to the skin, but alive.

It happened so fast - nothing on earth could have kept Bia from Daniella in that moment. Bia swept Daniella off the ground, sweeping her in an arc through the air, before she locked her in her wings, the tears falling like eternal rain. There was a brief moment when Bia held just Daniella, but then one of her wings hooked around Azure and pulled him into the hug. Azure closed his eyes, resting his forehead against hers.

"Daniella!" Leo cried, joyously - he didn't care if he was interrupting this moment. Daniella dropped out of her mother's wings, and the brother and sister reunited. Bia picked them both up and covered both of them in kisses, and for once, Daniella didn't squirm in embarrassment, although Leo tried to escape as their friends jumped for joy in celebration, as he and Daniella were caught between Bia and Azure's embrace. Rafael and Eva hugged, Mia kissed Nico as he threw the bottlecap in the air, and once she had released him, Pedro crushed Nico in a hug. Daniella trapped Leo with her good wing to stop him getting away, cheek pressed against him, her happiness helping her ignore the pain in her wing.

Sirens approached as the emergency services drew near to extinguish the fire, the frantic sound of Tulio, Linda and Emma in the jeep as they rushed to find Fernando, who still lay in the clearing - injured, but alive. Through the chaos and delight of that reunion, Daniella peered through the mass of blue and multi-coloured feathers, seeing Emori. Eva, between praising Azure and hugging Rafael, held Emori, who was breathing more steadily, beginning to stir as clear air filled her lungs.

Her pink ribbon fluttered in the breeze. She was okay. Daniella closed her lavender eyes, whispering a 'thank-you' as the rain began again, washing the earth clean.


	45. Last day in Rio

Through the window, Fernando was sitting in a chair, his burnt arm wrapped in white bandaging. Despite this, he was smiling and laughing as Emma pulled at the bandage edge in curiosity, as Tulio tried to distract her. "Honestly, she's fine." Fernando said, but Tulio was still fussing, worried that Emma would pull the bandage too tight.

"I just don't want her to hurt your burn, that's all."

"Good news!" Linda came in the room. "The insurance company has ruled out foul play - they're paying for all the damages. The house'll be built and ready in a few months. They think the storm damaged the electricity box, because it was all bashed up. They think that started the fire." Tulio and Fernando breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that there was nobody out to get them, after a few arrests of the sanctuary trespassers and the security upgrade. Despite this, there was a sense of loss and anger. They'd lost most of their possessions - not a lot had been salvaged from the wreckage. Emma was distracted by Fernando's bandage, running to Linda instead. Linda picked her up, teasing a knot out of the reddish-brown curls.

"I can't believe it's all gone, though." Tulio said sorrowfully, pinching the area between his eyes. "Well... at least the laptop here has all our photos." He looked at the open device, which was open on the photo album. Pictures of the birds, their wedding, baby photos, were the most important ones. A few new ones - Fernando in a hospital bed, giving the camera a thumbs-up, while Amalia, the girl who was always going into the book store to see him, was waving at the bedside, her hand resting on his uninjured arm.

"And that's the most important thing." Linda held Emma on her hip as she put the phone back in the receiver. They were staying in the bookstore upstairs until their cottage was rebuilt. "Tell me again, Fernando - how did you get out of there?"

"Honestly? I can't remember." Fernando tried to, for perhaps the hundredth time. "This might sound loco, but I thought I saw Bia and her mate... but that's impossible, right? I still can't remember how I got down from the upstairs level - I want to say I climbed down, but I think I jumped... there was nothing to climb down with." His legs weren't broken, like it would be falling from that height. He sat at the laptop, clicking forwards to the photo he'd taken over a week ago, of Bia, her mate, and the two chicks.

"Anything's possible. You're always hearing about people falling from several storeys and being unharmed." Tulio readjusted his glasses. "I'm just so glad you're alright. You know, maybe the storm was a blessing in disguise. Had it not happened, we would've all been at home when the fire started."

"That makes no sense." Linda laughed. "The storm caused the fire, so if the storm hadn't happened, there would be no fire!"

"No... if it hadn't happened..." Tulio tried to cover his error. Fernando laughed and got up, pulling them into a group hug, before Emma stole Tulio's glasses. She waved them about, giggling, as Tulio tried to get them back.

 _Meanwhile_

In the quiet ornithology centre, Daniella was muttering in her sleep. A few days ago, she'd been drugged while the ornithologists had put her wing back into it's socket, put something on her wounds, and cleaned the ash and soot from her feathers. She was lucky - there would be no scarring, unlike what happened to her father when he got trapped in a fire when he was younger. The drugs had worn off, and now she was naturally asleep. She was dreaming of fire, losing Emori, and Marcos, still alive, soaked and burned by electricity...

"Daniella!" She was abruptly woken. Daniella sat up, feathers on end. Leo gazed at her through the cage wires. "You were talking in your sleep." He said. Daniella looked around, remembering where she was. Soft night breeze blew in, ruffling Leo's feathers on the windowsill. The soft snores and shuffling of bodies reminded her of the other injured birds, who were on the road to recovery. She looked through the wires, seeing the sleeping tree frog, Gabi, in a glass tank, a patch on her pink arm, while the cockatoo got a rare break from her affections. A bird slept on the slowly rotating ceiling fan, and most of the other birds were asleep in their bedding.

"I'm fine." Daniella replied, smoothing her feathers, although Leo knew she wasn't. She kept blinking at her older brother, still unable to grasp the reality - she was back with her family, after such a long time. "What are you doing here?"

"Mom, dad, and Emori are asleep on the tree branch outside. I wanted to check on you, that's all." Leo's hazel eyes were full of the now-familiar concern and relief. "I overheard mom and dad. They're planning on going home as soon as you're better."

"Oh, good." Daniella said, full of longing. "The humans said tomorrow - my wing feels better than ever." She missed the Amazon - she'd had enough of the city and the ocean at this moment in time. She'd trade the ocean for the Amazon river anyday. Seas reminded her too much of Marcos and Alegria. She tipped her head at her brother. "You seem different." Leo seemed taller than she remembered - only a fraction, it had only been over a week. His head feathers seemed to be taking her route - they were longer, he seemed to have more of then growing - more like Azure's. She noticed a little green in the hazel of his eyes, for the first time.

"You do, too. It's not only appearance wise, though." Leo rested his head against the bars. "You seem... more open. I want to say braver, too, especially after what you two told us." Daniella wondered if her family and friends believed them. It was a particularly unbelievable story... an island full of rare birds sounded odd enough, let alone a Cuban Red maniac who had killed Emori's parents. She and Emori had had to gloss over some things. They hadn't mentioned Marcos killing Corey, Eden, Anya, and Costia and Embry. In fact, they hadn't mentioned that he'd been in that house, had started the fire. They'd told them about Anya, Melodia, and the other kindly residents, failing to mention that Anya had succumbed to her injuries. They'd mostly spoken about the beautiful island, avoiding the scrapes with death.

"Emori's helped me overcome my... problems." Daniella shuffled closer to the bars. "She's an inspiration. She taught me to take no nonsense from anybody, to overcome my fear of water... I've realized I can't let what others think affect my decisions. She helped me see that I need to be more assertive, more... daring. But she's braver than I could ever wish to be. She's had such a hard life already." Leo looked quizzically at her. "Her parents were killed when she was very little." Daniella said, quietly. "You'll hear about it sooner or later."

"By what?" Leo asked, in shock.

"Just..." Daniella was unsure how much to tell him. "A very bad bird."

"Why won't you tell us more?" Leo asked, in curiosity. "I can tell you're keeping something from us. You mentioned a bad bird when you told us, but you won't say more." All her family knew was that Daniella had been swept onto an island populated by stranded rare birds, that she'd met Emori there and they'd escaped - they'd mentioned 'a bad bird', but hadn't gone into much detail. If they talked about the horrific truth, of Marcos and Kehua and the plots, her parents would never let her go anywhere, _ever._ There was no point in putting them through the guilt, that her life had been put at risk countless times. Daniella would tell them the truth when she was a few weeks or months older, so they'd believe her.

"Right now, all you need to know is that I'm - both me and Emori - we're okay. I'll tell you guys what happened, in full... just not yet. Can you trust me to do that?"

"I guess so." Leo sighed, although it was clear he was dying to know more. "You're still full of secrets, aren't you? But... I'm just so glad you're back, Dani. I'm sorry for all the stuff I've said to you... I was an idiot. I'm sorry about it all. But... most of all, I missed you. I'm glad you're back." Daniella gave Leo a crooked smile similar to that of Azure's.

The next morning, Daniella was flying. With a squawk of joy, Daniella whirled through the air, with Leo and Emori flying close behind. "Be careful, Daniella!" Bia fussed from below, where she, Azure, and their city friends followed, for a final city flight. They'd seen Rio - soon, they'd be on their way home. "You're wing might still -"

"Mom, I'm fine!" Daniella exclaimed, assertively. She flew down to her mother, running across her wing mid-flight, before returning to Leo and Emori in the sky.

"She is fine, Beatriz." Azure flew closer, lowering his voice. "Before, she wouldn't say that. And she'd wait till someone had asked her to fly up there - now look at her! She was the first one in the sky."

"He's right!" Rafael gushed. "She barely said a word before!"

"You got what you came for!" Nico said, brightly.

"She's a different kid!" Pedro added, and looking up at Daniella, Bia realized they were right. She'd been over protective since Daniella had come back, to Leo and Emori as well. _I won't be that kind of parent... they need freedom. Although, maybe I'll keep a close eye._

"What about Emori?" Asked Eva and Mia. Bia and Azure glanced towards each other.

"Well, we'd gladly take her in. But - and Emori said this herself - she'd be the only one in a ravine full of Spix's, and I see her point. She's never met her own kind, and there's a little group of Chestnut-Fronted macaws who live nearby. I know that they'd happily take her under their wing." Azure knew them well - not as large as a tribe, a group of around twenty or so Chestnut-Fronted macaws who lived near the Blue-and-Golds. Emori would feel very welcome. "They can see each other all the time, that way. I've never seen closer friends." Nico and Pedro coughed, fake hurt on their faces.

Emori flew alongside Daniella and Leo, who she was slowly befriending. It was strange to be around another chick her age, who wanted to get to know her - he didn't laugh or run away from her. She was unsure about what was going to happen to her, but Daniella and Leo had promised to help her every step of the way. She was going to make friends, meet her own kind... but then, what if she didn't fit in?

She'd never belonged on Alegria, never thought she would belong anywhere. That wasn't the only thing bothering her, however. She remembered Marcos. She'd seen him almost every night since he'd sunk to his demise, in her dreams. He'd been chasing her, seemingly back from the dead, or she'd be a hatchling again, watching her father and mother die at his three-toed claw...

"Emori, are you okay? You've been quiet for ages." Daniella's voice pulled her out of her thoughts.

"Marcos." She said, in a low voice, so Leo wouldn't hear. "I know, I know, he's dead. I know he is. Nobody could have survived the water, that... elecktricu... elec-tro-cu-tion?" she said the word slowly - she struggled with human terminology. "So... why can't I move on?"

"You can't forget him, can you? Well, you're not alone. I can't either, as much as I really want to." Daniella knew that vision, of being so close to a convulsing Marcos, would stick with her for some time, and the memory of the horrors he had committed. Costia and Embry, Corey, Eden, Anya, and the scars he'd left on the living, the fresh ones he would have made if they hadn't acted. Daniella had found comfort in this fact, as she'd lain in the ornithology cage, healing.

"Think about this, instead. If we hadn't been on Alegria, if we'd never known him, he'd still be alive, still there, probably ruling it by now. If he hadn't followed us, maybe he'd have found a way to wreck havoc upon it, despite being in exile with no friends... can you imagine the pain and suffering he would have brought, if none of us have crossed paths?" Emori's yellow and blue eyes flashed. "I'm not saying that what he did to us was good - it was inexcusable, and if I could forget it, I would. But now, its over. It's over for good, Emori." Daniella gazed at her friend, a warm feeling spreading through her heart.

"It's over, isn't it?" Emori asked, the beauty of this statement washing over her like a beach wave. She felt the sun warming her, and looked across the endless green, of rainforest fading into the distance. There was a whole world out there, and Daniella had given her the key to it. "You set me free, Daniella. How can I ever thank you?"

"You could just say thank you." When Emori looked confused, Daniella laughed. "Joking! There's nothing to thank." Emori grinned, one of few genuine ones she'd ever made. That was going to change from now on. She hadn't ever had a childhood - now was her chance. They were leaving Rio tomorrow night, because they technically hadn't seen Rio yet. Right now, they were flying over Christ the Redeemer - the city spread below. They'd come here to see the city, and that was exactly what they were going to do.


	46. Family

_Emori watched, incredibly nervous, as the green and brown birds headed their way. She perched on the branch next to Daniella, comforted by Bia's warm wing looped around the both of them. "They're truly wonderful, Emori. They'll love you." Bia said, kindly. "You know where we live. You and Daniella can see one another all the time, they're very laid-back. They'll let you do whatever you want."_

 _"Mom's right about everything, Emori." Daniella whispered. "But remember to see me!"_

 _"Of course I will!" Emori promised, honestly - she couldn't imagine not seeing her, but then they had company. The two Chestnut-Fronted macaws landed before them, looking cheerful - the ones who had lovingly agreed to adopt Emori. They were both young, maybe a year or two older than Bia and Azure._

 _"Hi, Bia, Daniella!" The female greeted, warmly. She was very pretty, had a light, breezy voice, and a curvy figure. Her eyes were the colour of slate, a calming grey - the left one, Emori realized, was lighter than the other, more of an icy grey. It was a pretty, Arctic colour. Her head feathers were short and unruly, sticking out in all directions, and she was beaming like a ray of sunshine. She was accompanied by a male._

 _"You must be Emori." He had a Brazilian accent, and there was something very relaxed about his appearance. His eyes were friendly, mild and dark green, his feathers fluffy and tousled. "My name's Zephyr. This is my mate, Octavia." He smiled at the female, who gazed back with love. "We've heard a lot about you - our group is very excited to meet you." The Chestnut-Fronted macaws were bundles of energy, such a friendly community - the exact number of them was between twenty and thirty, growing all the time as more of their kind flocked to be part of a group._

 _"You'll have a riot. The kids can't wait to meet you, we've got two ourselves, Ruairi and Harlei..." Octavia said, cheerfully. "Please don't be afraid to say you're uncomfortable, if our group overwhelm you - they're very friendly."_

 _"Are you ready, Emori?" Asked Zephyr. Emori's pink ribbon fluttered as a breeze blew from behind, as if ushering her toward Octavia and Zephyr. She was drawn towards this energetic, sweet couple_. I'm not sure if I'll ever call them mom and dad... but they seem lovely. _Costia and Embry would still be a part of her, no matter what._

 _"I think so." Emori began to smile, feeling her worries and nerves beginning to trickle away. She looked up at Bia. "Thank you so much, for everything." Bia gave her a warm look._

 _"You're welcome, sweetheart." She said, in her sweet voice. "Come on, Dani." She drew away from Emori, and Daniella followed. Emori took a step towards Zephyr and Octavia, but then she realized she'd forgotten something. She spun round._

 _"Daniella!" Her friend turned, and Emori threw her wings around her. Daniella held her tightly. "Thank you."_

Daniella was distracted from the memory, as high-pitched chick voices brought her back to the present. She looked down, from where she was perched on a branch. Carla and Bruno had taken their three chicks out for the first time this morning, but only into the safe ring of the grove that surrounded the ravine. Blu and Jewel, as well Eduardo and Mimi, were beaming with pride, at the new additions to the family. They'd come along to see this special occasion, for a chick's first time outside the ravine was a huge milestone. Plus, they adored Julian, Belle and Estrella.

The boy, Julian, was the spitting image of Bruno, although he had inherited Carla's eyes - he was very vocal, and loved making himself heard. The two girls were competitive as sisters often were, ever since birth - as if they'd been in a race to hatch first. Curvaceous like her mother, Belle had won the race to be the eldest, and she was a beauty, with her captivating hazel eyes. Estrella was equally beautiful and named for the flower that had saved Jewel's life. Her eyes were, according to Carla, the exact blue of the Estrella's petals - as if she was meant to be named after it.

Daniella loved her new cousins, and to her delight, they loved her too. Estrella seemed to have a fascination with her necklace, while Belle was obsessed with her long, black head feathers - she was always placing flowers on them, squeaking "Pretty!". Daniella didn't mind, and Julian was, while a trouble maker, cute.

It had been a few weeks since they'd returned to the Amazon - they had bid farewell to the city birds who had promised to visit in a few months, before journeying across the country, taking longer than usual so Emori could see all that she had been missing. Arriving back at the ravine for the first time, Daniella and Leo had been swept from the air by their seven cousins.

Jessie, Angelo and Feliz had been the first, followed by Monica and Suzy, and then Banjo and Angelica. Daniella recalled the utter surprise in all their eyes, as she'd bounced through the air, unable to stop the flow of words pouring from her beak. Ever since, her cousins hadn't been her only friends. Other chicks wanted to get to know her, they didn't whisper and laugh any more, or call her quiet and shy. Her family worried no longer.

Emori and her experiences had changed Daniella. She said exactly what she wanted to do without just playing along, she didn't let herself be pushed into something she didn't want to do. She wanted to get out there, to explore all what their home had to offer. She was always suggesting outings and games.

Jessamyn hovered before her. "They're waiting for us! Come on!" Daniella raced after her cousin, full of excitement, at the prospect of seeing Emori. Jessie was thrilled to see Daniella's transformation, and even more thrilled to meet Emori and hear about the adventures they'd had. The good side of the adventure. They'd told the family the thrills and the nice birds they'd met, but none of the bad, so not to make them feel sorry for them, or make it seem as though they were seeking attention and sympathy.

Emori's eyes had a new life breathed into them. The yellow and blue shone like never before, filled with a new warmth - while before, she'd been distant, vulnerable, she was now carefree. She had a family now, and there was nobody out to judge her. Octavia and Zephyr were the closest she'd ever had to parents, and their three kids treated Emori like a sister.

Emori had been welcomed into the Chestnut-Fronted macaws with open wings, and she was adored by her new family. Unlike before, she was smiling for real. She and Daniella met up almost everyday, sometimes alone, or joined by Emori's new friends and adopted siblings, or Daniella's brother and cousins. Bia and Azure had befriended Octavia and Zephyr in a parallel to the friendship Roberto and Sophia shared with Felipe and Azalea. Emori was very happy with her new family, and she looked up to the pair's two children, Ruairi and Harlei, who saw her as a younger sister. For the first time in her life, Emori felt part of a family.

They found Emori, with Leo and Banjo - the others were waiting at the ravine. Emori, while wanting to forget most of Alegria, had remembered some of the good things. The Alegrians played music with their instruments, and she had been taught by Melodia to make them. Right now, she was helping Leo make his own guitar, of sorts. Leo loved music, and when she had told them all about the Alegrian traditions, he had been desperate to learn.

"That looks great!" Jessie said, as they dropped down. The wood was impressively carved and being made smoother, although Emori had admitted she'd gotten Zephyr to help her. "That's going to look wicked when it's done." Leo and Emori grinned at Tiago and Orchid's only daughter, and Emori's eyes lit up at the sight of Daniella.

"We just have to keep Julian away from it. He loves destroying stuff!" Banjo said, jokingly, glancing toward their young cousin. Julian was now throwing acai berries at Belle and Estrella, who ran away, sqeauking like young chicks did.

"Daddy! Help!" Belle dived behind Bruno, and Estrella soon scooted after her sister.

Bruno was desperately trying to get Carla to stop Julian, but she was too busy laughing, emerald eyes dancing. "Come on, babe! Help me out!" Bruno pleaded, half jokingly and half seriously. When Carla still continued to laugh, he looked at his in-laws for help, but they had to learn themselves. Blu smiled at the scene, although the area over one of Jewel's eyes was raised, encouraging Carla to make sure Julian didn't constantly misbehave. Eventually she swooped down and dragged her son away from the acai tree to have a word. Belle and Estrella began to giggle, looking smugly at Julian as Carla began gently scolding their brother.

"Ha, ha!" Estrella squeaked, at Julian.

"Come on, you're the eldest! You're supposed to be a good influence to your sisters, Julian!" Carla hinted, but all Julian did was giggle and shrug. Above, there was laughter - Tiago and Orchid, overlooking the scene. Carla looked up at Tiago in annoyance. "He must have inherited it from you! You used to do this stuff to me and Bia!"

"Although, as Bia will tell you, that's not genetic!" Orchid chortled, kissing Tiago on the cheek. She wore her yellow bandana today, her single eye twinkling. Tiago looked at Carla, with an innocent smile.

"Maybe it was Feliz and Angelo who taught him that? They like throwing berries!" Tiago pointed out.

"Go on, drop our boys into it." Orchid rolled her eye. Belle and Estrella then pounced on Julian, and the three chicks began to play fight.

"Your baby cousins are so cute." Emori laughed, as she and Leo hid the half-finished instrument in a tree, where the destructive offspring of Carla and Bruno wouldn't find it. She turned, beaming, to Daniella. Daniella's heart warmed again, as she saw her friend. Emori felt more than that, though - more than a friend, somehow. They'd been through so much together...

"Let's go!" Leo exclaimed, and they headed for the ravine. Jessie, Emori and Daniella chatted excitedly, while Leo and Banjo engaged in banter at the front. They'd barely flown half a minute when two birds crossed their path accidentally. Daniella narrowed her eyes, before remembering: she only knew two Red-Bellied macaws. Camille and Valentina were having a bitter argument, but upon recognizing Daniella, Jessie and Leo, they stared at them, remembering pushing Daniella into an underground stream, so long ago. Leo didn't see them, but Jessie did.

Daniella expected to feel anger, and the memory of dark water - but it never came. Instead, she only laughed louder when Emori made a joke. Camille and Valentina stared still, watching her chat away, the confidence she felt reaching them. Shock - and then jealousy - made the sisters angry at their own life, as they saw this once meek chick transformed into someone who was an image of happiness and confidence. Annoyed at themselves, Camille and Valentina wondered over whether to make a snide remark, but couldn't think of anything clever enough. Instead, they returned to bickering hopelessly.

"Did you see -" Jessie began.

"I did." Daniella replied, and Jessie momentarily looked worried - but she only shrugged. "I don't care what they think of me. I'm happy, Jess." They entered the sunlit ravine, where Angelo, Feliz, Angelica, Monica and Suzy waited by the lilypads. Felipe and Azalea's grandson Elias, as well as two of Emori's new Chestnut-Fronted friends, were among them. A few of the adults were watching - Isaac and Margaux waved at Monica and Suzy.

"Finally!" Feliz exclaimed, golden eyes shining. "We've been waiting for you guys! How's Carla and Bruno doing with the kids?"

"They're doing well!" Jessie answered her brother.

"Let's get started!" Monica and Suzy landed on one of the rocks sprinkled throughout the plunge pool. "We'll judge. Whoever skids across the water fastest wins!" They were playing their first game of waterlily skiing as a whole.

"Daniella and Emori can go first!" Angelo declared. Daniella's friends and cousins lined up to cheer them, or boast about how they were going to win on their turn.

"Go, Daniella!" Leo and her cousins chanted, leaping up and down. Emori's adopted siblings, naturally, cheered for her. Daniella and Emori sized up two lilypads, but Daniella, for some reason, hesitated. Emori glanced at her.

"Dani?" She asked, pink ribbon fluttering on the breeze, glancing toward the sparkling surface. Daniella too looked at the glistening plunge pool, seeing the turquoise water mentioning its silver fish. She remembered the promise she had made to herself: that she'd play on these lilypads when she got back. It was so surreal - she could do it now. No fear.

"I'm okay. I'm ready." Daniella looked at Emori, smirking. "Are you?" Emori laughed.

"You know you love me." she teased. Then she suddenly leapt into motion, before Daniella could think of a response. "You're distracted! I get a headstart!" Laughing, Daniella raced down to the lilypads, Emori racing ahead. Bia and Azure, from where they'd been talking to Roberto, Sophia, and Bromeliad, paused to look at their daughter play. Sophia followed their gazes.

"I remember playing that." She said, fondly, blue eyes warm as she watched her granddaughter over the plunge pool.

"You still do!" Roberto pointed out, and he and Bromeliad began to laugh. Sophia chuckled, replying 'so do you!' as Roberto drew her head towards his to kiss the side of it. Azure and Bia looked at Daniella and Emori as they approached the lilypads, as Leo and their nieces and nephews cheered.

Bromeliad turned to her brother and Bia, taking a moment to wave at Banjo and Angelica. "They can't stop talking about the difference. Your journey worked wonders! I know you said she got lost, for a little while... but she is clearly capable of taking care of herself. You must be so proud."

"We are, Li." Azure gave Bromeliad a one-winged hug before gazing from Daniella, to Leo, to Emori. "Happy, Beatriz?" Bia looked at Daniella - her shy, quiet and awkward daughter was in the past. Bia's terrifying fear of Daniella growing alone and miserable was gone; all she saw was a ribbon of light within Daniella's lavender eyes. Bia pulled Azure's free wing over her shoulders, felt the sun on her face.

"I am, Azure. I am."

 _ **Well, I had a ball! I'm glad that you guys stuck with me all the way through. I thoroughly enjoyed writing this, and I'm fairly happy with the result. Maybe we'll see one more adventure from these guys, in a little while... but only if I can think of a solid idea. I can't promise anything, I'm afraid!**_

 _ **Okay - I'm probably going to rewrite my first ever Rio prequel next, almost three years (!) since I did it. Bear with me, I know some people dread the word 'rewrite', but I'm preparing for a much more complex, different story this time around. Again, thank you so much for reading! I love you guys!**_

 _ **Oh - and who else ships 'Damori'? See you soon!**_


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